3 years ago, September 1^st 2013 to be exact, I walked into my local movie theatre dragged by two of my friends to see a movie I had boycotted against. It seemed like a giant scam, an easy way for those who already had millions of dollars to drag teenage girls into a theater to see some stupid 90-minute movie to see five boys in five really tight pairs of skinny jeans dance in synch. But it was my 16th birthday, I didn’t have much else to do, and I was getting free popcorn.

I remember sitting down in the plush red chairs, rolling my eyes as the opening title credits rolled across the screen. Shortly after five distinct accents filled the theater and I found my two friends next to me whispering in excited tones.

As minutes passed I felt something weird happen. Suddenly I felt excited and oddly giddy. My straight face had suddenly turned into a giant grin and I could feel a sensation of tingles running through my body. At one point during the movie I even felt giant tears running down my cheeks.

Yes, ladies and gentleman I was crying at a film about a freaking boy band.

Slowly but surely as all of these symptoms started to collide, I felt myself falling deeper and deeper into the abyss.

The One Direction abyss that is.

Over the next few weeks and eventually months, I somehow found myself falling deeply in love with five boys from the U.K. And almost 3 years later, although my parents and friends claimed that this passionate love was “just a phase,”, here I stand here still as in love with One Direction as I was that day in September.

As, I enter my second semester of college I have come a crossed many people that have shared their thoughts and feelings pretty vocally when they hear I’m in love with a boy band

1. They think you’re crazy.

I promise I’m not crazy. Just because I know every lyric to every song, their birthdays, exact dates of certain band milestones, and all of their pet’s names, doesn’t mean I’m crazy… right?

2. They want to know just how much money you’ve spent on them.

Well, if you add up the concert tickets, iTunes downloads, the vinyl copies, hard copies of CD’s, travel costs, posters, t-shirts… Um, I don’t think I even want to know.

3. They ask you what you think of Zayn leaving.

Um- I.. I don’t… I don’t know how I feel… I just have buried these emotions for so long... Can we just, can we just not talk about it?

*pulls out box of tissue*

4. And they want to know why they mean so much to you

Because when they came into my life I was an unconfident, unsure, and timid junior in high school. But now after being dragged to the theater against my will, One Direction has helped me be comfortable in my own skin, and truly learn to love myself. Through every breakup, every bad day (and every good day) 5 voices harmonized have always been there for me.