Two months into my current relationship, I was falling in love and daydreaming about a "happily ever after." Every moment I spent with my boyfriend gave me butterflies. Fast forward to the present and quite a few things have changed. I'm still in my relationship (we just celebrated our two-year anniversary), and it's stronger than ever--but our relationship now is nothing like it was at the beginning.

THEN: You watched what you ate in front of your significant other.

NOW: You eat whatever you want, whenever you want.

I still remember the nervous feelings in my stomach when I started eating in front of my boyfriend. I avoided anything that was too messy (especially finger food) or too unhealthy. Now, I order whatever sounds good, no matter how many calories it is. I eat my meal...and some of my boyfriend's.

THEN: You dressed up just to "hang out."

NOW: You don't even bother brushing your hair.

One of the first times I hung out with my boyfriend after he asked me out, I made sure I had my makeup perfectly applied, my hair done, and a cute outfit that emphasized all of my assets. All we were doing was watching TV. Now that we’re completely comfortable around each other, he’s seen me at my absolute worst. I no longer worry about making sure my foundation hasn't smudged or how my eyebrows look. He loves me for me.

THEN: When talking about the future, you avoided anything too serious.

NOW: It's normal to talk about buying a house together, getting married, and having children.

Remember how much we all fretted before saying “I love you” first? Ah, yes. The good old days. We looked forward to things like “six month anniversary” Instagram posts (guilty) and having a prom date, and that was as far into the future as we discussed. Time makes your relationship with each other stronger, and eventually, no topics are off-limits. It’s natural to spend more time discussing the future the longer that you are together. My boyfriend and I talk about getting married on a regular basis. We are planning our “forever future.”

THEN: You had two very distinct personalities.

NOW: You have the same mannerisms and sense of humor.

I recall the days where I hesitated before making a joke because I wasn’t sure if my boyfriend would laugh. Now, I don’t think twice before saying anything. We spend so much time together that we have kind of merged our personalities together. We're best friends; we just get each other.

THEN: You didn't talk about what was bothering you because you didn't want to fight.

NOW: You've had some big fights, but that's because you work on your problems.

In my opinion, fighting in a relationship is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, fighting shows that you care. Disagreeing and breaking up is the easy way out; truly repairing a problem and talking it out takes hard work. Obviously, if you’re fighting every day there is a deeper issue. But, I’m not afraid to raise my voice sometimes. I know we’ll get through it in the end.

THEN: Your family members were always on their best behavior when your significant other was around.

NOW: You're one big family.

I don’t know who’s more nervous when you bring a date home: your date or your parents. Parents try so hard to be likable and friendly, while the date is just trying to remember everyone’s name. The more time you spend together, the more comfortable your family and your significant other get with each other. After two years of dating, my boyfriend has been accepted into my family like he’s one of their own.

THEN: You were easily embarrassed.

NOW: Nothing phases you.

Back in the day, I was deathly afraid that I was going to fart, burp or sneeze in front of my significant other. To an extent, I still am. I’ve never been the type to giggle at farts or participate in burping contests. The truth is, it’s impossible to spend all of your free time with someone and NOT fart/burp/sneeze etc. When it happens now, it doesn’t embarrass me as much as it used to.

THEN: In the back of your mind, you're worried about being cheated on.

NOW: Your relationship is rock solid.

Every fledgling relationship goes through moments of jealousy and anxiety. No one wants to be cheated on! Most of the time, these worries are unfounded and will go away with time. Two years is a long time to build trust in someone, and my man has never given me a reason to doubt him.

THEN: You thought you were falling in love with them.

NOW: You can't imagine life without them.

I remember the butterflies I felt at the beginning of our relationship. Every second we spent together was exciting and memorable. It isn’t like that anymore. We fight. We have days where we don’t do anything adventurous; we don’t even take off our pajamas! And that’s okay. Relationships cannot stay as exciting as they were in the beginning. The butterflies die down, but the love remains. I prefer this to the intensity of a new relationship. I have built a strong and lasting relationship with my boyfriend, who I plan on marrying someday. I look back on the first two months of our relationship and laugh because I thought I loved him then. In truth, I love him more every single day.