Different Worlds

Every relationship brings perks or differences between your partner and yourself. There is one hundred percent chance you won't have everything in common with your partner. It's fine though, don't get me wrong, the differences can keep a relationship feel fresh or interesting since there's always something new to learn from each other. In my opinion, people who've been or take part in an interracial or LGBTQ relationship tend to learn more of each other's ways and habits to understand one another. Especially if you were raised with different values than your partner; such as, culture.

For my partner and I, language is a barrier in which we can struggle at times. Spanish isn't my first language and English isn't his so at times it can be difficult to get our point across to each other. However, I appreciate how we both keep calm and explain each other's ideas with examples we can both relate to. Our family culture and background couldn't be any different either. For example, on Christmas Day my family celebrates it by opening gifts in the morning and having dinner during the evening; however, his family has dinner on the 24th and opens their gifts around 12 A.M. on Christmas Day. Birthdays are not an exception either. Growing up I've always known that a Sweet Sixteen Birthday Party is supposed to be a significant date for a female but for my partner, a Quinceñera is a huge day for females. A Quinceñera, from my understanding, is the day a girl is turning into a woman so it's celebrated by going to church, hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of the Quinceñera with her Chambelanes, having a huge party, and doing a traditional dance. Besides our family background, I was taught that a woman should be able to have the opportunity to speak her mind and make decisions without a care in this world but my partner was taught that man should always be the leader and have the final say in a relationship. Lastly, in some ways we both share common music but still introduce each other to different types such as Mariachi music, Reggaeton, West Coast Rap, Bedroom Pop, Soul, K Pop, Indie Pop, Southern Rap, and Jazz. Music is a way that both my partner and I can express to each other without barriers. We both have songs that remind us of each other such as love songs that explain how we feel for one another. My favorite song that my partners have shown me is “Amor de Siempre” By Cuco and His favorite song that I’ve shown him is “Meet in Amsterdam” By RINI. These are just a few examples of some culture shocks my partner and I had with each other when we were learning more about one another. No matter what our cultural differences may be, it does not affect the way we feel about each other. We both believe that if love is there then there is no difference we can't overcome together.

No matter the differences you may have with your partner, it’s always important to be mindful of what you say. There is no need to be critical about things in their lifestyle you may not be accustomed to, the same goes with them. I'm not saying you can't voice your opinion but if you do then do it in a way that won't offend their values or culture. Always remember to stay patient when problems occur and be considerate to each other. Both you and him/her won't learn everything overnight, everyday brings new adventures and different opinions just remember to respect each other even when you both agree to disagree.