---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From my personal experience, because I'm…"
description: "\"From my personal experience, because I'm in a relationship, on paper I would never have imagined - I'm an Essex girl, maths geek who likes football, an..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/rachel-riley-5537_date_from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m_3124553.jpg"
---

#  From my personal experience, because I'm in a…

![“From my personal experience, because I'm in a relationship, on paper I would never have imagined - I'm an Essex girl, maths geek who likes football, and I've ended up with a Russian ballroom dancer, and I guess the things you think are important, especially when you're younger, turn out not to be.” quote by Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/rachel-riley-5537_date_from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m_3124553.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/rachel-riley-5537_date_from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m_3124553.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/rachel-riley-5537_date_from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m_3124553.jpg)

> “From my personal experience, because I'm in a relationship, on paper I would never have imagined - I'm an Essex girl, maths geek who likes football, and I've ended up with a Russian ballroom dancer, and I guess the things you think are important, especially when you're younger, turn out not to be.”

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A woman reflects on how her unexpected partner defied her youthful expectations about love and priorities.

**In simple terms:** Unexpected love challenges early assumptions.

Key Takeaway

Embrace openness to unexpected relationships.

Themes

love identity expectations growth

Mood

reflective optimistic

Type

personal inspirational

When to use this quote

- Dating
- career planning
- family expectations
- cross‑cultural relationships

Key Concepts

compatibility cultural differences personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- What assumptions about love have you outgrown?
- How do cultural backgrounds shape relationship expectations?

A Different Perspective

People may resist change despite evidence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Personal experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-experience/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/)

## Related quotes

> [I would have never dreamt in a million years I would go out with a ballroom dancer from Russia, as, when we were younger,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-would-have-never-dreamt-in-a-million-years-i-would-go-out-with-a/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [Little did I know that there's nothing more competitive in the world than a professional ballroom dancer. They are as competitive as Olympic athletes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-forsyth/little-did-i-know-that-there-s-nothing-more-competitive-in-the-world/)

[Bruce Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-forsyth/)

> [I am a ballroom dancer on WWE programming and in my personal life I am no dancer at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-rae/i-am-a-ballroom-dancer-on-wwe-programming-and-in-my-personal-life-i/)

[Summer Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-rae/)

> [I know I'm never going to be a professional ballroom dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mischa-barton/i-know-i-m-never-going-to-be-a-professional-ballroom-dancer/)

[Mischa Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mischa-barton/)

> [I was an atheist and I came to experience a relationship with God which had a radically transforming effect on my life, on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-gumbel/i-was-an-atheist-and-i-came-to-experience-a-relationship-with-god/)

[Nicky Gumbel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-gumbel/)

> [“For it is not only lethargy alone which causes human relationships to repeat themselves in the same old way with such unspeakable monotony in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/for-it-is-not-only-lethargy-alone-which-causes-human-relationships-to/)

[Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/)

> [“As with almost everything else in life, you learn about relationships through experience. And since your first serious relationship began as an infant with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-becker-phelps/as-with-almost-everything-else-in-life-you-learn-about-relationships/)

[Leslie Becker-Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-becker-phelps/)

> [I feel like, in a lot of shows where the woman is in charge, the woman is this ball buster and the guy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-cummings/i-feel-like-in-a-lot-of-shows-where-the-woman-is-in-charge-the-woman/)

[Whitney Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-cummings/)

> [It's very different than it use to be. I think everybody has a lot more experience in how to be in a relationship -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-valentine/it-s-very-different-than-it-use-to-be-i-think-everybody-has-a-lot/)

[Kathy Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-valentine/)

> [Everything in your life, every experience, every relationship is a mirror of the mental pattern that is going on inside of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/everything-in-your-life-every-experience-every-relationship-is-a/)

[Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/)

> [Layne and Paul Cutright are like lasers in the way they penetrate to the core issues of relationships in their easy to read book,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tolly-burkan/layne-and-paul-cutright-are-like-lasers-in-the-way-they-penetrate-to/)

Tolly Burkan

> [Unfortunately, I think we've probably all had the experience that if we're in a relationship where one of the partners is doing it 'my'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/unfortunately-i-think-we-ve-probably-all-had-the-experience-that-if/)

[Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/)

> [Speaking from personal experience, if someone asked me on a date, I would still want to pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-hussey/speaking-from-personal-experience-if-someone-asked-me-on-a-date-i/)

[Matthew Hussey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-hussey/)

> [Science provides an understanding of a universal experience. Arts provide a universal understanding of a personal experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/science-provides-an-understanding-of-a-universal-experience-arts/)

[Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/)

> [All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-truly-wise-thoughts-have-been-thought-already-thousands-of-times/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Rachel Riley

> [There's no reason for men to be better at maths than women - it's just about our perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/there-s-no-reason-for-men-to-be-better-at-maths-than-women-it-s-just/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [I'd happily describe myself as a TV presenter now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-d-happily-describe-myself-as-a-tv-presenter-now/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [I take vitamin C and zinc every day to keep colds at bay. I also take calcium tablets to supplement my lack of dairy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-take-vitamin-c-and-zinc-every-day-to-keep-colds-at-bay-i-also-take/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [When I see myself on screen, I don't even feel like it's me - it's like it's a completely different person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/when-i-see-myself-on-screen-i-don-t-even-feel-like-it-s-me-it-s-like/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [You can have your opinions, and you can share them with your friends, but why would you go online to tell a stranger something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/you-can-have-your-opinions-and-you-can-share-them-with-your-friends/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [I'm not into bags, so I don't pay a lot for them; I get them from H&amp;M and Topshop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-m-not-into-bags-so-i-don-t-pay-a-lot-for-them-i-get-them-from-h-m/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [I think you regret the things that you don't do more than the things you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-think-you-regret-the-things-that-you-don-t-do-more-than-the-things/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [I only applied for 'Countdown' as a bit of a laugh while applying for lots of other graduate jobs. I've had some amazing opportunities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-only-applied-for-countdown-as-a-bit-of-a-laugh-while-applying-for/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [Some of the words that pop up on the show have had terrible connotations. But that's the beauty of 'Countdown.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/some-of-the-words-that-pop-up-on-the-show-have-had-terrible/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [Maths is like a ladder - if you miss the first few rungs, you can't jump up, so start with the basics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/maths-is-like-a-ladder-if-you-miss-the-first-few-rungs-you-can-t-jump/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [In TV, you get so many different opportunities, and especially, you get to try something different you don't get to do as a normal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/in-tv-you-get-so-many-different-opportunities-and-especially-you-get/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [I never Google myself because that way madness lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-never-google-myself-because-that-way-madness-lies/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [I use a stylist, which wasn't something I imagined I'd ever do, because I like shopping, but because we prerecord 'Countdown,' I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-use-a-stylist-which-wasn-t-something-i-imagined-i-d-ever-do-because/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [I have had a problem with food intolerance since I was eight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/i-have-had-a-problem-with-food-intolerance-since-i-was-eight/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [God, I don't think of myself as gorgeous at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/god-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-gorgeous-at-all/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

[Explore all 100 Rachel Riley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

## More Date quotes

> [I'm aware of who I am and I'm comfortable with who I choose to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/i-m-aware-of-who-i-am-and-i-m-comfortable-with-who-i-choose-to-date/)

[Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/)

> [I once went on a date where the girl drove and so couldn't drink. I was nervous, so drank quite a bit - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-once-went-on-a-date-where-the-girl-drove-and-so-couldn-t-drink-i/)

[Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/)

> [Serial dating: It's not just for breakfast anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-s/serial-dating-it-s-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore/)

[Laura S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-s/)

> [I was a serious competitive figure skater and still ice-skate as much as I can. Anyway, I once brought a date to the rink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-serratos/i-was-a-serious-competitive-figure-skater-and-still-ice-skate-as-much/)

[Christian Serratos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-serratos/)

> [I heard recently that I used to date Patrick Swayze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/i-heard-recently-that-i-used-to-date-patrick-swayze/)

[Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/)

> [“It’s been so many years since I actually had a date that I’ve forgotten how to act. You don’t mention your ex when you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlet-blackwell/it-s-been-so-many-years-since-i-actually-had-a-date-that-i-ve/)

Scarlet Blackwell

> [I've never asked a girl out in my life, they have to ask me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-ve-never-asked-a-girl-out-in-my-life-they-have-to-ask-me/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

> [If we date, you should be aware that I have priorities. You may or may not be one of them. Only time will tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-date-you-should-be-aware-that-i-have-priorities-you-may-or-may/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-that-is-not-eternal-is-eternally-out-of-date/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm not allowed to date. My dad said so. Not until I'm, like, 90.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-hogan/i-m-not-allowed-to-date-my-dad-said-so-not-until-i-m-like-90/)

[Brooke Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-hogan/)

> [All men that date me have to know that their name may end up in a pop song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/all-men-that-date-me-have-to-know-that-their-name-may-end-up-in-a-pop/)

[Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/)

> [Obviously, in my past, I had a quite wild relationship with Pamela Anderson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-michaels/obviously-in-my-past-i-had-a-quite-wild-relationship-with-pamela/)

[Bret Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-michaels/)

> [Any online dating profile is about making us more human, more three-dimensional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-hussey/any-online-dating-profile-is-about-making-us-more-human-more-three/)

[Matthew Hussey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-hussey/)

> [“I'm not here to grant you the extraordinary love you never had for yourself. I'm here, on my own accord, to love you. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/i-m-not-here-to-grant-you-the-extraordinary-love-you-never-had-for/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [It's not like I'm gonna marry the guy; I'm just going on a date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrina-patridge/it-s-not-like-i-m-gonna-marry-the-guy-i-m-just-going-on-a-date/)

[Audrina Patridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrina-patridge/)

Browse all 1,620 Date quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "From my personal experience, because I'm in a relationship, on paper I would never have imagined - I'm an Essex girl, maths geek who likes football, and I've ended up with a Russian ballroom dancer, and I guess the things you think are important, especially when you're younger, turn out not to be.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rachel Riley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m-in-a-relationship-on-paper-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Date"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m-in-a-relationship-on-paper-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/rachel-riley-5537_date_from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m_3124553.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/rachel-riley-5537_date_from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m_3124553.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/rachel-riley-5537_date_from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m_3124553.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“From my personal experience, because I'm in a relationship, on paper I would never have imagined - I'm an…” — Rachel Riley",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Rachel Riley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "From my personal experience, because I'm...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m-in-a-relationship-on-paper-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/from-my-personal-experience-because-i-m-in-a-relationship-on-paper-i/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
