I got to work among some really bright and insightful people this summer as an editorial intern for Odyssey. One of those aspects that came with it is constantly asking for input from the other interns. No one questions it when Julia asks for our favorite song at the moment or Lily asks for what we learned in New York. So when Christian asked for why those that were single enjoyed being single, there were lots of interesting answers.

Interesting mostly because though I'm in a committed relationship, I thoroughly enjoy all of those things as well. Christian wrote '8 Reasons Why I Am Happy To Be Single' and it made me realize that the reasons everyone else loves being single are the same reasons I love being in a relationship.

1. "I do not have to make someone else happy."

You're right, being single means that you get to be solely and completely focused on your own happiness, and that is always the goal. My happiness comes first in my life. But what I've realized is that love is this beautiful thing where your own happiness can be derived from being able to bring happiness into someone else's life. He said, "If I want to watch a stupid superhero movie, I can watch it, if I want to eat a whole pizza, you can bet I will, because I do not need to make anyone else happy." And you better believe I'm going to eat a whole pizza myself, too. And I know that my boyfriend loves me enough not to care if that pizza is cheese and not pepperoni because I'm a vegetarian and my happiness makes him happy.

2. "I do not need permission."

You better believe I will never need permission for anything, boyfriend or not. No one controls me. In the same sense that I love being able to care about my significant other's happiness, he cares about mine and in knowing that I will never "ask permission" for anything. A healthy relationship is not about asking for or getting permission but rather trusting the other to do what's best and to not hold back the other from living as big as they can.

3. "I get my bed to myself."

Alright, this one's fair. I think one of those small moments of showing love is when I, a diagonal sleeper, was napping diagonally and my SO didn't want to wake me up so he moved. And it goes the other way-- when my boyfriend is at my house, he sleeps in a bed all to himself. We both value sleep. But I mean, hey, is there anything better than cuddling occasionally?

4. "I do not have to hang out with their friends."

They say opposites attract, but my boyfriend is my best friend, and thus, we have similar friends. Hanging out with his friends is always a blast because I know they make him happy and are an amazing support group. How could you not want to be around the people that appreciate your significant other in the similar ways you do? And on that same note, even if I didn't like his friends, neither of us needs permission from the other. We trust each other. If I don't want to hang out with them, I won't-- and he might even appreciate that. But at the end of the day, he's my favorite best friend.

5. "I do not have to pretend to like their family anymore."

This one's my favorite because the boyfriend's family and the girlfriend have the same thing in common: a love for being able to lovingly tease him. There is nothing funnier than hanging out with my boyfriend's family and being surrounded by people who know him just as well, if not better, as I do. At the end of the day, if both you and their family want the best for them, then you're going to have a lot in common and get along just fine.

6. "I do not have dumb fights anymore."

Let's be honest: We're going to have dumb fights with lots of different people all the time. My mom and I will argue about a way to cook something, my best gal pal and I will pick over which type of mascara is best, my roommate and I will argue over the room temperature, and my boyfriend and I will fight over whether our kids will be Kentucky fans or Duke fans (go Cats). So being single doesn't necessarily mean you're going to fight less, it just means it's a different person to be finicky with. But, if you're fighting just to fight, that's a sign that you're not in a healthy relationship. Your dumb fights should be about Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts and Kentucky vs. Duke. If your significant other is picking on you to be malicious, then get outta there. At the end of the day, the fact that you can have a fight, talk through it, and resolve it will teach you more about effective communication than you can imagine.

7. "I do not have to deal with the infamous 'first texts.'"

If you're in a more long-term relationship, you know the worry about a double text doesn't exist anymore. Probably my favorite Tumblr post about it because it's right, you think I care? This boy has seen the worst of me and surely isn't going to care if I text him 20 times. In fact, it's one of my favorite things to have not been with my phone and see he's texted me several times about different random things.

8. "I get to be myself, all colors included."

I always will be, single or not. The best part about being in a healthy relationship is that that other person appreciates all of your crazy colors. They love you for it and there is nothing more amazing than being loved for being your completely true self and having someone to share your weirdness with.

There are so many opinions out there that being in a relationship makes you less independent, less ambitious, less of yourself, less a lot of things. But a healthy and loving relationship has taught me that there is nothing more amazing in this world than being your independent, ambitious, and colorful self side-by-side with someone amazing.

I am my own whole and he is not my other half. But I came across one of the most beautiful quotes the other day:

To those of you who are single: embrace it to the fullest. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. You're waiting for the right person to come along and I wish each and every one of you to find your own person to make you feel this way.

And to Christian, one of my dearest friends: You're going to find your person and whoever that person is is INSANELY LUCKY and going to have the same Detroit pride that you do and let you sleep in a huge bed and be just as sarcastic as you. I love you!