When I was 13 years old, I ended up kissing a girl who lived three houses down from me, and it felt extremely natural. I followed my instinct and made the next move. Well, she laughed so hard at me she pissed the bed. I instantly turned to men because that was considered "normal." My first crush lived five houses down and was two years older than me. His name was Jaime. I was in love with this kid since I was eight, and when I turned 14, he finally noticed me. We took each other's virginity, dated for three years and is still my friend today. He always said, "You're going to end up with a woman one day." I thought this was weird at the time. But then began my journey.

Joey came into my life randomly. We hooked up on the bus on the way back from an out of town band competition, and he swept me away. He was the most romantic man I have ever met and showed me chivalry is real. He was a man of many talents, and I believe he was a soulmate of mine. We had a very deep connection, but timing was never on our side. He took me out for Valentine's day, and things didn't feel right. He called me when he got back to his dorms that night just as I was about to walk into my very first lesbian house party. I picked up the phone, and he was sobbing. He kept proclaiming that I was going to cheat on him, and I had no such intentions. It took me 45 minutes to calm him down and reassure him nothing was going to happen. Well, not even 10 minutes after entering the house, I was lip-locked with my very first girl love.

The fire between me and this woman was intoxicating. We couldn't keep our hands off of each other. I don't know how he knew, but he was very intuitive. I told him what happened, and he was crushed. Katelin and I were poison for each other. She was the forbidden fruit, and I only got a nibble of it. I entered a whole new world and started categorizing myself as a "lesbian."

I remember riding in the car with mom and nervously whispering, "I think I like girls." She vibrantly laughed out loud and told me it was just a phase. I mentioned it a couple more times and received the same response but ending in, "Whatever makes you happy, baby girl. I will love you no less." She didn't think it was too funny when dad called her while she was out of town to tell her that he had just caught his daughter grinding on top of another female. I melted to the touch of this woman, and she was my heroine. Once again, timing was never on our side. We still sporadically talk, and the chemistry is as electric as it was when we first spoke; but we have accepted our fate will never be together. We will always love each other, but our friendship was more important. I ended up with her best friend.

I had enough of the South Florida lesbian circles. I think what drove me to my breaking point was when I lived in a three bedroom apartment with three lesbian couples. Six women all on top of each other is a recipe for disaster. It was insanity. I only lasted a couple months before I called in back-up, and my family moved me to North Georgia. I had only been women for two and a half years. Now, I was newly single and in a brand new place where I ended up meeting a wonderful guy, Mike. We became friends with benefits quickly. I told him upfront I was into women, and that this will never amount to anything other than an awesome friendship. He helped remind me of my worth simply by the way he treated me. My heart was torn at one point because I wanted to be with him, but I knew I could not give him what he deserved. I am still great friends with him and his family to this day.

I really wanted to have an intimate relationship with a woman because my experience with them thus far was not so great. It's funny because people say lesbians "U-Haul it," meaning that in a ridiculously quick amount of time, you are pretty much married. And that wasn't too far off from the truth, since within a week of meeting Kyla, I let her move in with me. Then after a month, we moved across the country together, so we literally did "U- Haul it" together for almost three years, but I kept her far enough to where I didn't feel smothered. I tried very hard to be what was expected of me, but that wasn't the lifestyle I wanted at that moment. I saw the way it was going to be if I stayed, and something made me want to go home. Bad. I couldn't resist the urge and moved back. We gave it a fair chance.

I went through a very tragic time, and directly following, I allowed myself to get involved with a man while I was trying to rebuild myself. My fortress was in rubbles, and my heart was vulnerable. I was an easy target. A week later he left me, and I realized then that I could have feelings for a man because I was hurting.

I fought for a title that had no significance for five years and convinced myself I could not fall for a man the way I did for a woman. I felt like a hypocrite for wasting so much time fighting for a label all while contradicting my own beliefs. Labels and stereotypes are nothing, and they get you nowhere. The universe finally broke me and shattered my "used to be" state of mind. I had broken free of the chains. It felt like I had an awakening epiphany. I was not confining myself anymore.

I was tired, and I wanted something real. So, I asked God to send me the person of his choice, and he sent me a familiar face. I am now falling in love with my friend, who happens to be a man.

Ultimately, the lesson I learned through my journey of significant others is that it doesn't matter who you like or what gender you want to be with. Rather, it's about falling in love with the soul. Every person in the pictures above and everyone I've mentioned so far have each played a pivotal role in changing my life. I took something from each relationship and learned from it. Our world runs off of humans interacting with each other in so many different ways to enrich our world as we know it. The energy of two souls intermingling is one of the most beautiful and powerful gifts we are able to feel. I was depriving myself of that possibility by canceling it out instantly and never giving myself a chance to see. So stop worrying about what category you're in, and just be the most genuine form of yourself. You will attract the ones you need in your life, be patient.

Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. — Matthew 7:7