My friends from home are completely different than my friends from school.  My friends from home, whom I've known for years upon years, jam out to Britney Spears in their cars (and yes, we call it "jammin'"), get their nails done, tan excessively, used to be cheerleaders and are utterly, passionately obsessed with faux fur. 

My friends from school, however, don dreadlocks, aren't afraid to sport patchwork pants around campus and are obsessed with the Grateful Dead and music festivals.  Basically, I live in a completely different world, with a completely different set of rules and standards, depending on where I am.

So, naturally, I'd expect the two groups of girls I hang out with to be attracted to completely different guys. 

My friend from home proved me right  last weekend when she came to visit and invited a boy she met during high school when she was a wrestling stat.  He wasn't as buff as I pictured he would be, but he was cute nonetheless. 

He invited two friends to my tiny apartment, we sat on my couch , started drinking wine and started to talk….politics.  Now, I'm not afraid to discuss politics.  In fact, I generally invite it.  However, I was appalled when this boy started to knock my man Obama, spouting off stupid internet rumors.  I was furious. I considered asking him to leave, but re-considered when I saw the look on my friend's face: She obviously had a crush.  So I sucked it up and pretended that I was listening to the rest of his nonsensical political tirade.

I was disgusted.  I was sick to my stomach.  I was strangely turned-on.

In the back of my mind, ever since I was a rebellious 8th grader, I secretly wanted a boy who was the complete opposite of me. Someone tan, preppy and (although I guess I didn't know the term at the time) conservative.  Someone who would get mad at me for staying out late partying with the girls and would ask me to cover my cleavage when we went out.

Now, this boy lives in my area and conveniently Facebook-ed me almost as soon as he got home the next day.  Since then, he has invited me out a total of two times – and even invited himself along to a concert with me tonight.

A Grateful Dead cover band concert.

Although we don't see eye-to-eye about politics, he told me the Dead were one of his favorite bands.  I don't really see how this could be, but I decided not to judge.  I guess you can wrestle, plan to vote for John McCain and know that every silver lining's got a touch of gray.

I just don't know how far a relationship – or a friendship, even – can go with this guy and/or any of his friends when we disagree about something that I'm so passionate about.

Have any of you girls had experiences falling for and/or dating someone who was completely different from you?