By September 1, 2016, my boyfriend Stephen and I will be celebrating our 7^th year together. A time when you would graduate Hogwarts or finish your training to become a Jedi Knight. But many people find it shocking that we are not married. Why is that so? What does it mean to be married? What’s mine is his and his is mine? I hate to break this to you guys, but we don’t need that.

We met in high school when he was a Freshman and I was a Junior (go ahead and say the Mrs. Robinson jokes, I heard them all). It was marching band that brought us together, and we had our first date on October 16^th, 2009. I was the first to say "I love you," and he didn’t hesitate to say it right back. At this time, he was a Sophomore and I a Senior, but I will tell you we did had a rough patch. By around April, I broke up with him due to seeking freedom for my college bound life. But this is a happy story right? We did get back together on September 1^st, 2010 at 1am in the morning.

So, now it’s almost been 7 years and people always ask the same questions: why aren’t you married? How do you guys stay so happy? Do you ever fight? How have you made this relationship last? People, it’s very simple: communication. It seems dumb to say it like that, but it is. Don’t hold anything back! When you are in a relationship with someone, you have to be open with them and they should in return. If you’ve had a bad day, tell them. If they are doing something that annoys you or need to clear the air of something, say it. Don’t shy away from it; and a great quote from my mom, "Never go to bed angry. It only makes you more upset."

The relationship I have with Steve is fun. He is my best friend that can talk about Harry Potter, Star War, music, anything with me. We’ll spend days sitting on the couch binge watching Netflix or play video games. But there is a romantic side too. He brings me flowers on special occasions, or waits for me after work sitting on my car with some tacos to have for dinner. I do the same by surprising him at work with Oreos, delivering food to him after a long day, or write something corny for him to read (like this article).

A relationship is not always hearts and roses. It’s cosplaying together at a convention. It’s unwrapping a new lightsaber so you can battle together. It’s after a long day, cuddling on the couch to watch Archer. Love is love, and you should find that best friend in your life because they could be the one. Also, there is no need to rush. It’s all about having fun with someone you connect with.