The Relationship Thread

[goldendoodle]

Perfect timing for this thread as I'm JUST NOW getting into a new relationship (but while also dealing with an ex* who is also my best friend who will not be happy with this new development) as of.. well I guess as of a week ago although it probably won't be ~official until I arrive for my visit soon. (We are already in the same friend group as he used to live here until he moved to Las Vegas a year and a half or so ago. We met via the group chat we're both in. But, when he lived here we somehow never crossed paths, at least not that we know of) Which will be right after thanksgiving. So if any of you are very familiar with Las Vegas and know of something that I absolutely must do or eat (well, that would be doable with covid in mind; we'd be doing takeout/delivery ofc) with the new bf during my initial 3 day visit, do let me know/PM me. (As he isn't 100% acquainted with the city yet. There WILL be hiking though at least)

*said ex/best friend struggles with severe, somewhat treatment-resistant depression (and some other things which obviously are too private to blab about here) which doesn't help matters. For the past 2 years or so I honest-to-god thought I was either asexual, autistic or a lesbian so it'll be a bit jarring for him to learn about. (Apparently I just cannot sustain romantic feelings/sexual desire for someone unless I have a connection with them on every possible level or, at the very least, feel inexplicably safe with them/with a male person, considering my fun spicy assortment of past Trauma) He also will convince himself that the new bf is the only thing standing in the way of me and him eventually being together (as he remains convinced that we are soulmates), despite the fact that I had already lost any romantic feelings for him (for various complicated reasons) well before this new person was even on my radar. I just struggled to explain to him exactly what that is/why I cannot be his girlfriend because it's hard to articulate my weird issues/requirements for feeling ~safe/connected to someone and, also, in the past he always had a tendency to dismiss everything I said on the matter, so. I was/am also always legitimately worried about him committing suicide (as opposed to just binge drinking which no longer even really affects him beyond making him sleep more easily and numbing him slightly) so there's also that. If it ends up ruining our friendship, it will not be the first time this has happened with me. (A close friend cutting off contact because seeing me dating someone is too painful for them or whatever) Merely even thinking about that whole ordeal with him drains me though so I'd rather not discuss it here any further.