I hear constantly, "When are you going to get a boyfriend?", or "Are you talking to anyone?" all the time.

The answer to the first question will always be the same. I always joke and respond with, "Never". Of course, I don't mean I won't date again; I'm just being extra.

When guys ask me if I'm single, and I tell them, "Yeah, but I'm happy on my own", they don't get it. My answer doesn't register with them, so they keep on persisting.

I appreciate spending time with myself. Basically, I'm emphasizing that I need my space for a while, especially now during my years in college.

To me, in order to efficiently grow as an individual, I need as much distance from the act of putting my energy into another person as possible. I absolutely love being able to do whatever I want without being told not to by a guy.

If a guy ever discouraged me from doing something I wanted, I'm not sticking around.

I value my growth and independence, and I believe that it's important to be on your own so that you learn how to love yourself as a whole. From experience, being alone for some time unlocks hidden features you didn't know you possessed, both dark and light.

For centuries, we were all raised to believe that our humanly purpose in life is to produce babies and get married. If I'm being honest here, I don't have the intentions to do either, and that's okay!

I'm career-oriented and would much rather stay focused on that aspect of my life of pursuing my passions of writing and film-making.

I'm not saying that a person in a relationship is necessarily dependent on their partner. I'm saying that it's easy to attach one's self to the other and the next thing you know, they have made them their main source of happiness. They have shifted their priorities and possibly even put their lover before their own self.

I'm tired of seeing single people of all ages spend the majority of their time searching for their "soulmate", "the one", or their "other half". They should instead be spending their time wisely and let life just unfold in unexpected ways.

I think people swear off the thought that finding love with someone else will open up the gates of joy. To me, I realized the key to finding happiness is already in one's self.

If you make the choice one day to choose you, love and respect yourself, and change up your perspective on life, you have enough to fulfill your desires and goals. You don't need anyone to complete your heart. It's already a whole beating heart in itself.

I'm also not saying to act self-centered. Friends, family, and significant others will give you great memories, hearty laughs, and good times. You need them to guide you throughout the obstacles and vice-versa. It's just important to know that you must love yourself in order to love others.

So when people ask me that annoying question, I'm going to say, "Not for a while". I love being single, and I have had enough relationship experience to say that I need a break from dating.

Don't get me wrong, there are some aspects of a relationship that I do miss, but I'd rather put my efforts into making myself happy, earning money, and pursuing my dreams.

I need to get my life together first before I can shift focus to someone else. I barely have time for myself as it is.

While others are getting engaged and having babies, which there isn't anything wrong with, I am picturing myself living on my own in my later twenties, exploring cities and towns, and surrounding myself with dogs and coffee.

I also want to be able to defend myself without having to keep a guy around to "keep me safe".

Let's just say I have a couple of things I want to accomplish in my life before I get into a committed relationship. That is part of the dream for me: to be on my own.

I feel empowered and satisfied this way.

And that's okay.