Man explains why he’s dating a woman 17 years younger than him

Relationships are certainly a tricky thing, but for those partners who have a bigger age gap between them, it's often something else they have to contend with.

While there is no rule book to relationships, those who fall in love and have a large age gap are typically met with a few questions from family and friends.

You'll often find it is the older half of the party that is questioned, with a man dating a woman 17 years his junior revealing why he does so.

43-year-old Chris Marsceill, from Philadelphia, met Villafane, 26, back in March and they hit it off straight away.

A few dates followed, and by the fourth time the pair had met up, Marsceill knew they had a strong connection, as he hoped they would be able to get more serious one day.

Chris Marsceill

But the 17-year-age gap did concern him. What would family and friends say? What would those in public think? Just some of the questions that worried him.

Before meeting Villafane, Marsceill had dated women who were his own age, and at most three or four years younger than him.

Speaking to Insider, he said: "At work, I get along with people who are 25, and who are 70. But I was unsure if it was something I'd be comfortable with when it came to dating."

The pair had some much in common though despite their large gap, everything seemed compatible. It was just the age difference that was the stumbling block.

Marsceill spends most of his nights working until the early hours at music venues across Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, Villafane would be fast asleep at that point, though she would often send a selfie to Marsceill as she started her day around 6:45am.

Getty Stock Photo

"I thought that was so cool. I realized her energy is the kind of thing that I needed in my life," he said.

After matching on the dating app Bumble earlier this year, the couple ended up moving in together over the summer and made their relationship official in the process.

While Marsceill initially worried about how those closest to him would react to the relationship, he says he's had no negatively so far.

In fact, the Philadelphia man's parents approve of Villafane being in his life, something that has left him very happy.

"It's amazing," Marsceill told Insider. "I see possibilities for my life that I didn't think were options, like having a child, with her."