Love Without Borders: What Is Cross-Cultural Dating Really Like?

Dating someone from another country sounds exciting—but what happens when you're not just dating another person, you're also learning an entirely different culture?

In this episode of Faithfully Single — Not Settling, Rebecca shares what it was like dating a man from China after studying Mandarin and spending time in Beijing.

Even with some knowledge of Chinese culture, there were challenges she hadn't necessarily expected—from a language barrier that made communication difficult to cultural customs and etiquette that could easily be misunderstood if you didn't grow up with them.

And that got us thinking…

What happens when you meet the family? What traditions do you follow? What if something completely normal to you is considered rude to them? And if the relationship eventually becomes a marriage, how do you combine two cultures when raising a family?

But maybe those differences don't have to be problems.

They could also mean learning new traditions, experiencing another culture from the inside, seeing the world differently, and creating a family that incorporates the best parts of both backgrounds.

And cultural differences aren't limited to different countries. Sometimes even two families from the same place can have completely different ways of communicating and celebrating holidays.

The bigger question might be whether two people are willing to communicate, learn, give each other grace, and create something together. ❤️

Would you date—or have you dated—someone from another country or culture? Tell us what surprised you most!