Dating and Marriage!

Dating and marriage for me is probably the same as everywhere else here in Utah, particularly Utah Valley. But you still see allot of different relationship situations. The divorce rate is high, just like every where else. Along with the many divorcements, you also see many families with parents who get through their issues and live in a loving friendship. There are allot of huge families as well, go figure. And yes, some polygamists, but not many. For dating, you see allot of "girl friend boy friend" relationships along with just good friends. For me, I have good guy friends.

I don't go to group dances or hang out at somebodies house with a member of the opposite sex there (not including fathers or brothers) til I'm 14 years old. Then I don't date until I'm 16 years old, and even then, I avoid "girl friend/ boy friend" relationships during high school. I'm not exactly 16 yet, not for another 2.5 months. So I haven't dated yet. But I have one older sibling who has. When he first turned 16, he went on a date almost every week and a different girl at least every other time. But he refrained from getting into a serious relationship, he had other priorities. But I have a friend who started dating when she was 15 and a half. When she turned 16, she had a boy friend just like that. So like I said, you see a good amount of variety.

Seeing as I am not married yet, I don't have any experiences to share (at the moment), but I know many people who have had or is having a divorce. The rates are high, not the highest I don't think, but they are high. You see allot of couples who have problems and either can't, or choose not to fix them. I also know many people (my parents for one, my grandparents for two) who have been able to get through hard times and their marriage survives!

We do have allot of HUGE families. Huge can be anywhere from 5-15 kids (15 isn't that popular unless you adopt and have biological children). And apparently there are polygamists here, but they are very rare and I don't think many of them live in Utah valley.

Dating and marriage in Utah is a bit different from other states, there are allot of people who have the same standards/rules such as not dating until you're 16, or not having a boy friend girl friend relationship during high school and there are many people as well who don't have those rules, but may have some slightly different rules. As I have said before, there is variety, even in Utah.