Drake & Josh was the TV show that defined my childhood, and it's still one of my absolute favorites. If you're a 90's kid, then you also know how amazing this show was -- RIP to the golden days of Nickelodeon (let's share a moment of silence for what today's kids will never know). Now that I’m older, I realize that everything Drake Parker and Josh Nichols went through in high school is still extremely relevant to my life – and I appreciate Josh's struggles with single life and awkwardness even more. If you're single, especially as a young adult, let's just take a minute to laugh together and appreciate the struggles and joys that come with this time in life. We have the unique opportunity to be young and free, and we should use these years to bless those around us and lift each other up. Whether you're newly single or have never been in a relationship, I firmly believe that you're in a period of life that will grow and challenge you in unexpected but necessary ways. In the spirit of solidarity, here are 21 moments in the life of a single person as explained by Drake & Josh.
1. You can enjoy how it feels to just be yourself. Do something outside of your comfort zone, even if it's a little weird. In other words: you do you, with no inhibitions.
2. You experience that awkward moment when a potential love interest assumes you'll make the first move, but you definitely won't...so nothing happens.
3. You don't understand the way people act in relationships, which makes you even more hesitant to start one.
4. The friendzone is your homeland. It's fine.
5. You wonder if this is karma -- maybe you're single now because you rejected that kid in middle school.
6. Your fiercely independent side comes out when people assume you need someone else in order to be happy.
7. And you have to calmly deal with people's speculation -- they'll assume that you're single because no one is interested or that maybe there's something wrong with you.
8. But actually you're happy with how things are; you're just picky because you know what you want.
9. Even though you're pretty self-confident, flirting often goes horribly wrong.
10. And when someone actually is interested, sometimes you panic.
11. Because you're worried the dinner date will go like this:
12. You might lose your mind if one more person tells you that you should find a significant other before graduation.
13. On the bright side, you think about how fun it is to get dressed up, go out with your friends and meet someone new.
14. But sometimes, on rainy days, you just want someone to love you like Josh loves Oprah.
15. Your friends have good intentions -- they try to set you up and help you make a good impression. Sometimes, though, even their best efforts can't save the day.
16. When you accidentally erase texts from that person who was hitting on you, and now you can't analyze them with your best friend.
17. You've gained some wisdom over the years. You realize that people shouldn't idolize romantic love as if it's the most important thing. It's great -- but there's more to life.
18. You get a little too invested in your best friend's relationships, since you're not sure anyone is good enough for them. You're not overprotective, you just never want them to get hurt.
19. Romantic comedies just give you unrealistic expectations at this point -- you can't help it if "P.S. I Love You" almost convinced you to spend your savings on a plane ticket to Ireland.
20. And you try really hard to stay positive. After all, everything will work out in the end...right?
21. Finally, you realize that you have amazing friends -- no matter what happens with romance, you are loved.
