You can't always choose who you fall in love with and there are many people who have just happened to fall in love with someone from another culture. It can seem exciting when dating someone from another culture but it isn't always that easy. If you can make it work then you can have a cross cultural relationship that is life changing and very fulfilling but it isn't always easy falling in love with someone that has a completely different culture than you.
If you do plan to have a cross cultural relationship you must be prepared to step outside of your normal way of thinking. You may need to make some compromises in the relationship that do not follow your traditions. You may not think it would be all that difficult but you would be surprised how some situation can sneak up on you and you find yourself making a difficult decision. Different cultures have different ideas of what is right and wrong and some cultures will clash in those beliefs. If you are dating someone whose culture clashes with everything that you believe then these differences can be difficult to overcome.
When you are in a cross cultural relationship you will need to learn as much as you can about your partners culture and then you will know whether you can possibly compromise on certain things or whether your different beliefs are too great. You need to listen to your partner and ask respectful questions about their culture. If you are open minded you can enjoy an information discussion about your cultures, but always remain respectful of your partner and their beliefs.
If at some time during your relationship you find yourself in a situation that you are not comfortable with regarding their beliefs or culture then you need to discuss it with them. Remain respectful but let them know your beliefs are different and let them know how you feel about this. Never ridicule them for their beliefs, you should always respect them, but just let them know that you do not feel comfortable with it. If they love you and respect your beliefs then they will try to understand your position.
Different cultures have different customs and some of them may seem a bit primitive to you, but you should still remain respectful. It is quite possible that some of your customs may seem strange or primitive to them. You should never judge someone by their customs but rather take an interest in them and learn about them.
When you enter into a new relationship it can be an anxious time but even more so if you come from different cultural backgrounds. You need to be patient and understanding and have find while you learn about each other and your different cultures. If you are open to stepping outside of your comfort zone then you may learn about and experience some amazing cultures. This doesn't mean that you need to change your own beliefs, it just means that you are willing to acknowledge and respect someone else's beliefs.
