For the past several days now, I have been trying to think about the first romcom that I ever watched. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to remember exactly which one I started with because they have always been a part of my life. All I remember is watching Sandra Bullock fall in love with Bill Pullman over and over again with each re-watch of While You Were Sleeping.

When I tell people that I like romantic comedies, I am usually met with an eye roll or an excited squeal, leading me to conclude that there are two types of people in this world: those who love romcoms and those who hate them. I’m sure there are people who rest in a purgatorial gray area, but I have yet to meet one. You’re either on one end or the other. The nay-sayers, the ones who stick their noses up at movies like While You Were Sleeping or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or The Proposal, all like to point out their unrealistic nature.

“They’re so fake!” they cry in a Greek chorus. “There is no reality in their relationships.”

And to that, I respond, every single time without fail, “I know!”

I don’t invest all my time in front of a television screen or in a squeaky movie theatre chair for realism. For those one and a half to two hours of movie time, I want to immerse myself in a world where no matter how different Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger are, they will end up together by the end of 10 Things I Hate About You. The impracticalities of every situation, the farfetched story arcs, and the lovelorn protagonists are a beautiful contrast to the real world where not every relationship works outs.

I take solace in the knowledge that when I get tired of the choking practicalness of the real world, I can escape into a romcom where I know that the story will end with a kiss on the Brooklyn bridge, a wedding in Ireland, or a proposal in a subway ticket booth.

So if you are like me and find an immeasurable comfort in Julia Roberts’ heart-wrenching and super quotable “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy” speech or get butterflies when Heath Ledger sings “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in the bleachers, don’t feel ashamed. Don’t let the haters bring you down. Don’t hide your love for love. It is much more fun embracing your romantic side because, let’s be honest, romance is dying in the modern age. So go grab a friend, junk food, and your favorite romcom because there are many movies to watch and only so much time to watch them.