Living with your significant other is a big change that many people go through in their lives. It’s a different experience than living at home with your parents or even living with a close friend or a complete stranger.

I recently moved in with my boyfriend. We’d been dating for just over a year when we got the keys to our apartment and started moving all of our things into the tiny space. I have two cats and my boyfriend is extremely allergic to them. I don’t know how many different allergy medications we tried to find something that would work for him. We finally did (too bad it costs 20 dollars a bottle!) and so we are moving past that problem.

In my time living with my boyfriend I have stumbled across a few things that I think are worth sharing with those who are in the process of moving in with their significant other or thinking about living with their significant other.

You will learn new things about each other.

Maybe your significant other has a talent that they've never shared with you, or a favorite food that they ask you to cook all the time, or maybe they have a weird pet peeve that you have to work around. Maybe you'll find out a new aspiration they have in their life, or a new fear they are willing to share with you. You'll find that there are shows you each love enough to make it a weekly thing to watch together. You will discover that they don't like to eat vegetables and you may have to spruce them up a little to make them more appealing.

You will find things that annoy you.

It could be something as little as your significant other rolling onto your side of bed at night or stealing all the blankets. Or perhaps your boyfriend has this strange habit of picking up after you before you even have the chance to do so. Or perhaps your girlfriend accidentally misses the trash bag when cleaning out the fridge and food gets stuck to the bottom of the trashcan and goes bad.

Don't let these things be deal breakers. Work through them. Talk it out. I can assure you that there are things you do that annoy your significant other just as much.

You are going to want your own space.

Living with your significant other is not about being shoved up each other's butts all day every day. You are going to want to get out of each other's hair and do your own thing and that's okay. Living together doesn't mean giving up your privacy or giving up spending time with your friends.

Take an hour, or even a day, to yourself. Read a book. Play "Pokemon." Sit on the opposite ends of the couch and do your own thing. Go to the beach. Drive around until you get lost and need to use your GPS to find your way back.

Cook together.

There is nothing better than preparing a home cooked meal. Personally, I love cooking. I cook six days a week and I don't mind at all. If you are cooking something that requires a lot of preparation, do this with your significant other.

The other night my boyfriend and I made a ham and sweet potato soup. The preparation for it was ridiculous. There were potatoes and carrots to peel. There was ham to cut up. We were able to laugh through our frustration at sweet potato chunks falling on the floor and at the end of it all, we were able to enjoy a delicious soup together.

Find an activity you like to do together.

You aren't always going to agree on what you want to do. One of you might want to watch movies all day and the other one might want to go out for a long car ride. Find an activity that you both enjoy doing and make that an option on those days you are both off work or home at the same time.

In the winter, my boyfriend and I watch corny horror movies on Netflix on our days off. We can spend all day laughing at the awful special effects and the terrible acting. In the fall and spring, we find trails to walk on to spend some time outside in the fresh breeze and sun. In the summer, we find a way to beat the heat. Sometimes we hit the beach to sit in the sand and enjoy the sea breeze. Sometimes we grab our fishing poles and go spend some time by the lake trying to catch fish.

Your family is going to miss you.

If you're someone who has never lived on your own and away from your parents they are going to miss you. They will find ways to see you. They will call or text just to see how you are doing. They will offer you their washer and dryer so you don't have to pay to do your laundry and then they have a reason to have you over for dinner.

You will need to make time to see your family even if the times interferes with the time you would be spending with your significant other. Due to our work schedules, the only days both my boyfriend and I have off are Sundays. Sundays, however, have been dedicated to seeing family and getting laundry done. We will have our Sunday someday, but for now we enjoy seeing our families.

You are going to fight.

Every relationship has its ups and downs. It's stupid to move in with your significant other and think that every day will be perfect. One of you will wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Someone will have a bad day at work. One of you will do something incredibly hurtful to the other and you will have to work through it, or you won't. There will be fights that haunt your mind for weeks. There will be fights that end with tickling and laughing. There will be fights that result in you not speaking to each other for hours.

You are going to miss each other.

There will be days in the week that you may not see each other. Your work schedules may be opposite each other or one of you may need to go somewhere without you. You will have days where one of you has to work all day while the other gets to stay home alone and relax.

Most importantly, you will discover if this a relationship you want to be in for the rest of your life.

All of the above things will become factors in the future of your relationship. Sometimes fights will be too much for you or for your significant other and you will have to move on. So many people will rush into marriage before they've experienced if they can live together. Living with your significant other will change everything. It will prepare you for how the rest of your lives with them will be. Don't rush into anything. Enjoy your time together and make sure that it's what you want.

My boyfriend and I have talked about our future together a lot in the past few weeks. Yes we fight. Yes we annoy each other. Yes we infuriate each other. Do I imagine him being in my life forever? Absolutely.