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(As relayed by Lauren R.D. Fox based on a culmination of experiences)
I met Mark on Tinder five months ago and, unlike the average Tinder relationship, we’ve had a whirlwind romance.
We complement each other perfectly and my family loves Mark just as much as I do. Since Mark is originally from Greece, his entire family still lives there so I haven’t met his parents or siblings yet.
Much to my surprise, Mark asked if I would like to travel to Greece to meet them. I was ecstatic to receive such an invitation and happy to be in a relationship where I didn’t have to wait an eternity to meet a significant other’s family. Immediately after our conversation, Mark booked our tickets and last week we flew out to his beautiful home country.
Upon arrival, Mark and I were picked up by his brothers at the airport. They were hilarious and I had a good feeling that I would feel welcomed the same way by the entire family. Once we arrived at Mark’s family home, the rest of his family poured out offering to help us with our luggage and get us settled for our two-week stay. His parents were affable and I felt overwhelmed to find someone whose life fit so perfectly with mine. That was until I tasted Mark’s mother’s cooking.
Now, to be clear, I love Greek food. Just thinking about it makes me salivate. But Mark’s mother’s food tastes bland and she’s never made her food look appealing. On the third day of our trip, I found three local restaurants I could eat at so I could avoid her food but Mark caught on and is now upset. He thinks it’s disrespectful for me not to eat his mother’s cooking but, truth be told, I didn’t fly nine-plus hours to eat distasteful food. Now he’s annoyed with me and has given me the cold shoulder even though his mother has not.
Should I force myself to eat her cooking or am I justified to dine at the restaurants?
