7 amusing comics show what dating looks like versus being in a serious relationship.
This is how you know it could be the real thing.
Do you remember the first time you felt comfortable enough to fart in front of your significant other?
Sure, it's embarrassing at first. But isn't it a beautiful thing to get to that place where you're comfortable with each other? Where you can pass a little gas without running for the hills in utter embarrassment?
That's where these lovely comics by Sarah Andersen come in. Her own relationship inspired this delightful series of what a couple looks like from the beginning stages of a relationship to when it gets serious.
These seven comics perfectly capture what it feels like to go from a new, budding relationship to a long-term one:
1. Prepping.
Meeting up with your cutie? Well, in a long-term relationship those nervous butterflies vanish in favor of comfort. What's the point of getting all dressed up when you know they love you regardless? What this basically translates to is sweatpants all the time — forever and always.
Illustrations by Sarah Andersen for College Humor, featured with permission.
2. Cuddling.
As a general rule, cuddling is great, but lying next to another human being for hours at a time can have its own discomforts. I, for one, am guilty of this particular move:
3. Dining.
Dinner dates can be awkward in the beginning. Eating in front of someone when you're nervous is particularly nerve-racking. But don't worry. The more time you spend with someone, the more comfortable you'll get about stuffing your face.
4. Communication.
When you're constantly with someone, the two of you start to develop a language of your own. Over time, your communications with your partner might deteriorate into silly garble.
5. Honesty.
At the beginning of a relationship, it's hard to discuss things that are more personal, but around the one-year mark your inhibitions have a tendency to just straight-up vanish.
6. Physical intimacy.
Movies and magazines will have you feeling like you need to have some kind of highly seductive alter ego to keep a relationship going, but you'll eventually learn that this is totally unnecessary. Your seduction tactics might devolve from complex, Cosmo-magazine-inspired moves to a simpler, blunter method.
7. How you feel.
Infatuation might die out, but if you're in the right relationship, love shouldn't change. If you're with someone who's seen the nastiest, pukiest, slimiest version of yourself and they still love you and treat you right, you've found something special.
Romantic relationships are a funny thing.
Most people start out shy, watching what they eat and over-prepping for dates. You don't want to let on that you're human just yet.
These cute illustrations are fun, but they're also real. They show that once the relationship gets going, and you become more comfortable with each other — all bets are off (in a good way).
I Love You Elf GIF by MOODMAN
"Love you!" Oops.
Green Flag GIF by The Last Talk Show
Embarrassed Hide GIF by flor
Vincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait, 1889Image via 
Turbulent flow illustrated and animated.
Animation of art referencing science.
Animated Starry Night
An animated depiction of The Scream.
One year of work at McDonalds grossed this worker $13,811.18.via 
A photo of a McDonald's in Hartford, CT. via
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."