The process of dating someone is packed with joys and plentiful "love-drug" moments. But in between the hand-holding and dreamy bouts of staring at each other, there are some not-as-easy experiences.

First date? A little scary.

First time naked? Slightly terrifying (especially in a brightly lit room).

First time meeting friends and family? Potentially excruciating.

It is universally anxiety- inducing to move outside the safe little bubble of a freshly minted relationship and into the bigger world with your affection. But this high-risk dating behavior brings with it excellent stories, so we gathered a few tales of adventure and woe to share.

After figuring out that her now-husband's name was Paul, not Scott, and having a whirlwind romance, Oak Cliff photographer Sarah Jane Semrad, 31, faced one other small challenge.

"His entire family thought my name was 'Sara-Beth' for six months," she said. "I boycotted Christmas with them that year."

Dayna Harvey met her current boyfriend when he was the designated driver for a bachelorette party; as she put it, "he was there to schlep a bunch of drunken 30-plus women around from bar to bar."

But after she sobered up and got serious with him, the prospect of meeting his law-enforcement father made her jittery.

"I wasn't sure what to expect – I had old Hill Street Blues images in my head," she said. "Luckily, his father was really warm and really welcoming."

There can be unexpected bits of information before a meeting.

"There was one time I was dating a lady who was a lot younger than me; when she wanted me to meet her mother, I broke it off with her because it turns out I am older than her mother!" said Bob Sherwood, 52, laughing. "I didn't want to face up to that one."

Plano real estate agent Stephanie Poole, 34, said she tends to throw her hands up in the air and grind her teeth until the uncomfortable part is over.

"As far as giving any advice, I don't think I am qualified. I am too nervous about the whole process," she said. "It's like dating; I hate the process of the first dates, getting to know each other and all that. I like it when the chase is over and you can just let your hair down and be comfortable."

Expectations of the family can make for awkwardness, as Andrea Roberts, 32, found out when meeting her current in-laws.

"I wanted to appear more conservative to make a good impression, but [now-husband] Jason suggested that I be myself," she said, noting that it specifically included instruction to wear her hair however she wanted. The result? They loved her.

"I later heard that they were scoping out wedding gifts for us within a week of meeting me," she laughed. "I'm glad I didn't know that at the time; it would have freaked me out. My advice to others would be the same advice Jason gave me: be yourself no matter what."

Hey, Mr. Right, Leah wears her hair however she wants. E-mail her at lashafer@gmail.com.