We've all heard the saying, "listen to your gut feeling," once or twice or a few hundred times before. In school, we were told this when changing our original answer on a test, as we entered teenager territory we heard it again about choosing our friends wisely, and in adulthood, we hear it regarding romantic relationships. I'm sure I am not alone when I say that I have ignored my gut more times than I would live to admit regarding all three of those scenarios. So what happens when you've ignored that gut wrenching feeling far too many times? The universe steps in.

In the past year of experimenting with the dating world, I have encountered two guys that I should have stayed away from after the first date, yet I kept going back to them. My head, heart, and gut all told me I was wasting my time and deserved better but my curiosity got the best of me.

The first guy was someone who I had went to high school with, he wasn't even a nice guy in high school but hey, people change right? Wrong. Okay, some people I'm sure do change from high school, however, he was not one of them. I thought that me being around him with my bubbly personality would somehow make him more pleasant to be around. While he was handsome and intelligent, his personality was very cocky and argumentative. I felt my own light being dimmed by him and couldn't even really eat when I was in his presence, and I consider myself a foodie. With this feeling in my gut, I went out with him one more time. We went to Avalon Park in Stony Brook on an oddly warm winter day. There was a track of mud and he offered to carry me over the mud after his snarky remark of, "way to wear the wrong boots." It all happened in about fifteen seconds, he picked me up, started walking, and before I knew it I was full on in the mud. This guy dropped me in the mud, I was covered. He apologized, surprisingly and managed to complain about his shoes being ruined when I just took a mud bath on his behalf. I went home after that and thanked the universe for slapping me in the face, with mud.

The second guy was not nearly as bad as the first guy. He was more sweet and attentive. The only downside was he is a coworker. My gut told me that the situation in its entirety was getting awkward and I had to stop. Needless to say, I did not listen. On my last visit to his house, I encountered his dog who is about the same weight as I am. The dog was super friendly and very excited to meet a stranger. Once again, it all happened in a matter of seconds. I walked in, the dog jumped on me and then I felt something crunchy in my gum. I went and looked in the mirror to discover that the dog chipped my FRONT tooth. A minor chip it was but still, it was my front tooth! I was beyond upset, contemplating when and how I would manage to get my front tooth fixed with finals and papers all coming up. With the exception of work, I haven't seen him or his dog. I am keeping it strictly business, no pleasure.

I am no expert on relationships, clearly. I'm still getting a handle on figuring it out, just like most of you. However, I am now a firm believer that if you do not listen to your gut, the universe will step in. So unless you are in search for a mud mask or a new front tooth, do as your mother has told you and listen to your gut, it's probably right.

Until my gut gives me a good feeling about a guy, I am remaining single and smiling every second about it with my new and improved front tooth.