What It's Like to Be An Old-Fashioned Romantic In Today's Hook Up Culture

If you got one good look at me, you would say I am a typical college girl, and I am. I work hard during the week and let loose on weekends, I like to binge watch Netflix, and I’m addicted to Starbucks. There is one thing rather different about me than a lot of girls my age, and that is that I don’t believe in hooking up.

I believe in love, romance, and chivalry, and I pride myself in being an old-fashioned romantic. It is partly because I never really got out my Disney Princess phase and the idea of finding my Prince Charming, but I think a lot of it has to do with growing up in a house where old Hollywood movies were always playing, as well as hearing the real life love stories of my parents and grandparents. Their stories were even better than the ones in the movies, and to this day, I dream of having one like it.

What really turned me into a self-proclaimed old-fashioned romantic was when my mom bought me "Pride and Prejudice" when I was twelve. She didn’t buy me the movie (although I did receive it that Easter), she bought me the book, and when I read it, it changed my perspective on everything. To this day, I crave what Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy had; the passion and the chivalry is just beautiful to me. Studying history has also contributed to this belief of mine, since I was exposed to many amazing true love stories, that of Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra being my personal favorite.

It is hard, in the modern world, to believe in true love and waiting for the right person, especially in college. I hear my friends talking about their hook ups, and sometimes I feel left out, because they talk about sex with the man of the night so positively, but usually, I only hear about that guy a few more times, if at all. I have nothing against casual hookups, they are not for me.

I don’t want my first time waking up next to a man to happen after a drunken night. I want my first time waking up next to a man to be with someone I truly care about and love, and I want him to feel the same way about me. I want to wake up and smile with him, and then spend the rest of the day with him. It sounds cheesy, but it’s what I want, and I won’t settle for any less.

I want the number of guys I have sex with to be as low as possible, to be just one person, if everything works out well. Some might say my views are archaic, but I genuinely like the idea of only being with one person my entire life. I think it’s romantic. I also like being wined and dined, as well as guys holding open doors for me, and getting flowers for no reason.

I am often told that I am not a feminist because I like these things, and I think that is wrong. I believe in the equality of both sexes, and that is what feminism is. Last time I checked, feminism was about choice; whether you want to spend your college years hooking up with guys or want to only be with one person, both are fine, and it’s your personal choice. We shouldn’t bring women down for their sexual choices, and my choice to not have sex until I find the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with should not be criticized.