I'm 20 years old, and I haven't had my first kiss yet.

Since high school, when all of my friends seemed to be coupling up, I had been embarrassed about the fact that I seemed to be the only one who hadn't hit that "milestone" in their life. Whenever there was "girl talk" in any sort of group, "Who was your first kiss?" or something to that effect was almost always involved, and I couldn't participate It's not as if I wear it as a point of pride now, but events in my life have led me to realize that I'm not crazy just because I haven't had my first kiss.

I thought I was some sort of social pariah just because the people in my life were getting engaged, and I hadn't done something as seemingly simple as kiss someone. Added bonus? I was homeschooled. A number of people my age are already married. Other homeschoolers that I know had kids or were pregnant in a marriage by the time they were my age. When my older sisters were my age, they were either dating their would-be husband, or had at least been in a serious relationship. I've never even had a kind-of, sort-of relationship. I was teased about this by someone I trusted, and then it just kept spiraling downward. I thought something was wrong with me. I thought I was giving off some sort of "don't kiss me" vibe.

Recent events have led me to change my perspective on my whole approach to my "predicament," but it wasn't a short journey. My sophomore year of college, I developed a close-knit group of friends, many of whom were in the same boat as I, letting me know I was not alone. Then, I started having conversations, and creating friendships with upperclassmen, some of whom I realized were also in the same situation.

However, I think the most influential thing happened just the other day. I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, and I found an Elite Daily article by contributor Rachel Chapman "I’m 26, Never Been Kissed, And No, Nothing Is Wrong With Me" where she discussed the fact that she was 26 and had never been kissed. Someone who didn't live in the same little bubble of being homeschooled and then going off to a Christian college was in the exact same place and had gone through some of the same struggles. I was not alone in the great big world! I felt elated! Reading this article made me realize how the status of someone's lips in no way reflected who they were as a person. I am so much more than someone who has never been kissed. I'm a daughter. A sister. A friend. An aunt. The list goes on and on.

I know that some might think of me as a prude when I say I've never been kissed. A common reaction is "What? Is no one is good enough to kiss you?" That's not true, I can think of some occasions where I almost kissed a person, so it's not because of that. In addition to the list in the previous paragraph, I'm a few other things: Awkward. Painfully shy around new people. I'm not exactly the type of girl to hit up a party and flash a flirty smile at the nearest guy and bat my eyelashes. I'm not the type of girl to see a cute guy while studying in the library, and then go up and talk to him. I'm someone who avoids parties, and immediately looks down and goes beet red when she sees a cute guy in any situation. It's who I am.

I'm not going to wear some sort of sign saying that I've never been kissed, but I do know that I don't need to think of myself as some sort of outcast. I'm not going to think that I'll be rewarded with some sort of movie-worthy first kiss. In all honesty? Knowing me, I'll probably miss. But I do know this is something that is normal. I'm not writing this as some sort of "pat me on the back" type of article. I'm simply writing something I wish I had heard years ago, and rejoicing in the fact that Rachael Chapman decided to take on the task. So here's to another article saying something I think is important: It's okay to be one of the few in your demographic who hasn't been kissed. Reaching the second decade of my life without ever having been kissed is not the end all be all of my life. It just is. Kissed or not kissed, you're still a human, and that's all that matters in the end.