I have always been a sucker for a good romance novel or movie. "The Notebook" is hands down my favorite movie and Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author. His stories would fill my heart only for me to step back into reality and realize that is just not how the world is, or so I thought. For so long after high school, I didn’t believe in love.

I honestly thought it had died along with so many other timeless acts. In my mind boys sucked and there was nothing you could do to change that fact. Of course time and time again I would fall for someone only to be let down when I realized they just weren’t into it. I would ask over and over again why I wasn’t good enough to find someone that could love me back.

When you think about relationships, they still occur, but not in the way they used to. Sure, people still go on dates, but usually, those dates are classified as “Netflix and Chill”. Last time I checked that is not a date. What happened to calling people on the phone and having to ask someone out in person? Our society relies so heavily on social media and screens that half the time the message we are trying to portray gets misinterpreted.

Going into my junior year I decided that guys were not going to be in the picture and I was only going to do things for myself. Of course, that’s when I found the man of my dreams. It's funny because I always wondered how people could be so in love with someone, but now I get it. After finding someone that truly is perfect it made me realize I was looking in the wrong place all along.

You need to understand that some people will never change and even when you think that this time might be different, it just won't. Start looking for people who don’t make you chase them to the ends of the earth then give you nothing in return. Stop looking at that guy that was Mr. popular in high school because, in reality, popularity means nothing in the real world.

Loving someone should be effortless.

Yes, relationships take work, but by work, I mean communicating and expressing your feelings. It's about doing the little things for each other. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be in a relationship, I would have laughed. I finally understand what it takes to feel unconditional love for someone. Never lower your standards because you deserve the absolute best.