Swipe East, Swipe West

The Philly (Summer) Special w/ Brittany

Helloooo summer! This episode catches you up on all of the summer shenanigans of Ashley and her friend Brittany (featured in Episode 4) who she was staying with while she was back on the east coast visiting friends in Philly - and it does not disappoint. Part of why Ashley left Philly was because it was small, and as soon as she stepped off the plane, Ashley ran into someone she knew: THE guy who ghosted her friend discussed in Episode 6. It doesn't end there - he just so happened to also be Brittany's neighbor who she had an encounter with just the week prior.

Brittany also shares a story about a recent fling with a west coast man who is named after a Disney villain, while Ashley discusses being catfished by a guy back in LA for the first time ever. Ashley also had a wild night out at the infamous McGillins, where she runs into a bartender Brittany had a flirtation with, sends some selfies to a questionable fellow, and also gets negged hard for where she lives along with her age- a classic east coast guy move. The trip ends with July 4 being spent in the Hamptons, where boys run away from her due to her voice sounding like Mickey Mouse after losing it from being so social for the first time after COVID on top of being potentially the oldest girl at the bar. After this trip both girls couldn't help but wonder.. is it time to settle down?

More stories to come in Season 2 as Ashley explores dating lives in cities across the country and the globe! 

 

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Season 1 Finale

Well, friends and family - Season 1 has come to a close! In this episode, Ashley rides solo and discusses her current opinion on both living and dating in LA since launching this podcast a few months ago. There are definitely things that hold true (including distance being a major barrier in dating), but after reflecting and finding her groove almost two years in, LA isn't so bad after all when comparing to her experience in Philly. Ashley also shares her updates from the weekend, including matching with a seemingly erotic writer on Bumble, and gives a sneak peek into some summer shenanigans (I sense a summer special coming up!) that includes a trip back to Philadelphia and the Hamptons. Overall, a lot was learned over the course of the season about living and dating in Philly/LA, and Season 2 will have a lot in store focusing on other cities - or even new topics in the same cities.

Have something to share? Don't fret - you can reach out on Instagram @swipeeastwest if you would like to be featured on a special episode or on Season 2.

 

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LGBTQ+: Lesbian Community & Dating Apps, ”The U-Haul,” Bar Scene & More w/ Laurel & Alaina

On this week's episode, we dive into the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the Lesbian community, and any differences or similarities in dating culture in LA and Philly. Spoiler alert: there are WAY more similarities than differences seen on each coast. Guests Laurel (based in Philly) and Alaina (based in LA) join Ashley in discussing their experiences dating in the Lesbian community across a variety of topics, including using dating apps, navigating the bar scene, relationships vs hook-ups (has anyone heard of "the U-Haul??"), and using social media - both to slide into DMs and figure out who they should or should not date. They each share dating successes, like Alaina meeting her current girlfriend at a bar in downtown Huntington Beach, as well as major fails - like Laurel dumping a girl she was dating on Valentine's Day, only to be stuck in a shared Uber ride home with her across the city. Ashley also discusses how their experience compares to hers as a straight woman dating in Philly and LA - even though a guy asked if she was a lesbian just this weekend. Be prepared to laugh and learn a lot about the community this week!

 

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Industry Dating: Entertainment vs The 9-5 w/ Lauren & Maria

While people in Philly and LA work across several industries, it's no secret each city skews a certain way: LA towards entertainment, and Philly towards a typical 9-5. However, with these different industries comes challenges in dating, including different types of personalities, managing different work schedules, as well as the dealing with conversations around your job being equated to status - at least in LA.

In this episode, guests Lauren and Maria chat with Ashley about their experiences dating in the film and music industries, along with how it compares to dating in other places they've lived in Colorado, Wisconsin, and DC. They share stories dating A-list celebrities in the film industry, what it is like to date a touring musician, as well as a story from a friend going home with a performer that had a snake fetish - LA people are a rare breed.

Ashley discusses industry life in Philly, the total opposite, where most people hold your standard 9-5 job (aside from those in the restaurant industry), and how unlike LA, status isn't a topic of conversation. While most people share similar personalities across industries (except finance), she does have one crazy experience on a date with a stripper doctor that is *almost* on par with dating someone in LA.

 

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Summer Lovin‘: LA Love Bombs, Hamptons Elite, and Jersey Shore Beach Life w/ Heather & Kayla

Shot girl summer is right around the corner - if it hasn't already hit for you yet ;) This week, we have guest Heather (LA-based) and Kayla (Philly) talking about the differences in summer culture and how it can affect dating in LA, Philly, and NYC. We discover that while there isn't a major shift in LA culture, especially with dating when the weather gets *a little bit* warmer, the ever present "love bombing" occurs year round. Heather shares stories of her dating fails, including when she accidentally went out with a homeless man, a snooty Johnny Depp impersonator, and her year-long emotional affair with her handy man that drove her to see a sea witch. It all worked out for her in the end, though. 

The east coast, on the other hand, has a major shift in dating culture between the winter months (AKA cuffing season), where people try to hunker down with a significant other as they stay inside to get away from the cold, and the warmer summer months where people prefer to be single as they migrate to the beach or enjoy going out to rooftop bars and beer gardens. Kayla and Ashley share their experiences going out in the Hamptons, where Kayla's family has a house, and discuss hook-up culture there along with feeling out of place with some of the New York elite. Ashley also gives an inside look into life staying in downtown Philly during the summer months as well as what it is like at the different beaches down the Jersey Shore. She also discusses the differences in the dating culture with more laid back Philly folk, who mostly go up with friends that know one another, and how that differs from being in the Hamptons.

 

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Stage 5 Clingers: Atlantic City Slickers & LA Artists w/ Sam

This week, Ashley and guest Sam (who were both co-workers in Philly and are now in the same skate crew in the LBC) discuss their experience with Stage 5 clingers. They discuss a range within this category, including: Atlantic City Slickers, LA Artists, a stereotypical Stage 5, and even an introverted clinger, along with what they thing triggers them acting like clingers: rejection and ego. Ashley and Sam also share times when they acted clingy - with Ashley telling a story of mixing acupuncture with tequila, leading to her calling a guy 25 (yes, 25) times (BIG yikes) and Sam sending pretend accidental texts to a guy. The duo also shares any differences in clingyness in Philly and LA by sharing both first and third-hand stories, along with how LA being an isolating city with intense, short relationships or trysts can lead to people coming off as aggressive and clingy in modern dating.

 

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Sliding in the DMs: Social Media & Dating w/ Lindsay

Over the past several years, social media has become an integral part of our lives - including when it comes to dating. Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn are all platforms that can be used to communicate with people, check up on what they are doing, or as a means to attract a partner. Ashley and guest Lindsay, currently based in Philly but with some experience living in Orange County, discuss their experience using social media in the context of dating - including using Snap Maps to check in on if they should text a guy based on whether or not he is in an area, checking out someone's Instagram profile to a get a sense of who they are (or find out about a double life as a terrible rapper), and how some of their friends use LinkedIn to ask people out on dates. The duo also focus in on the differences in social media usage in Philly and LA, especially with the use of Instagram and the hyper-focus on the platform in Los Angeles. Ashley shares how her personal usage of the platform changed once she moved there, including asking for Instagram usernames over phone numbers, being hypersensitive to how often or little you post, as well as having more of an emphasis on selfies and "thirst traps" to match LA dating culture.

*My views are my own and any commentary or opinions are strictly related to social media in the context of personal usage and dating only*

 

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Flaking and Ghosting from Coast to Coast w/ Amit & Ryan

This week, Ashley starts off the episode sharing a Bumble date gone terribly wrong. There is a reason she hates the dating apps! Shot girl summer has officially commenced (she is fully vaccinated, to confirm.) Then, guests Amit, based in Los Angeles, and Ryan, based in Philadelphia, share their perspectives on flaking (aka "ghosting light") and ghosting - when does it get a pass, when is it absolutely not okay, and the differences in each city.  Amit shares his transition from a gentleman when he lived in New York to a full on flake when he moved to Los Angeles, while Ryan also shares a story of when one of his friends flaked on Ashley's friend - after asking to be set up with her. What?! The episode also includes multiple references to Benihana, and ends with Ashley being roasted for being the ultimate ghost/flake when she goes travel dating.. yikes.

 

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Meeting IRL: Philly, NYC, and LA w/ Chelsea

Guest Chelsea, Brittany's twin, lived in New York City for 3 years and never met a guy she liked. She moved to Philly a few years ago, and within 1 month met her current boyfriend. What. In this week's episode, Ashley and Chelsea talk about meeting people IRL - something that seems rare these days. Philly makes it a bit easier to meet both partners and friends due to the city's size and more casual atmosphere, though that can have its drawbacks when you tend to run into the same people - which Ashley knows first hand after being spotted on the street by someone she saw on an app, and getting the same guy's phone number twice by accident. In LA (and even New York), though, it is much tougher to meet people in real life due to the size of the city and networking involved. Tune in to hear Ashley and Chelsea share their thoughts on how to meet people in all three cities.

 

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Dating Apps: Swiping East, Swiping West w/ Noah & Brittany

Dating Apps are more popular than ever - especially in the rise of the pandemic. This week, we have guests Noah from the Dude! Nature podcast and Brittany, a childhood friend residing in Philadelphia, joining to talk all things dating apps. Noah will share stats on how dating has changed over the years, especially with the introduction of dating apps and websites, and Brittany and Ashley will share similarities and differences using the apps in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Stories will be shared, laughs will be had, and Noah will mercilessly make fun of Ashley for her collection of vibrators and celibacy - which dating apps can also help contribute to. We're in a pandemic okay!!

 

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