To Mr. Right (And All The Mr. Wrongs)

Today, I was on Pinterest (shocking, I know) and I stumbled across a picture of a quote by Marianna Paige that said,

“Dear future lover, I hope our love is the kind that I don’t even have to think about. I hope I never have to convince myself to love any certain part of you because I hope it all comes naturally. I hope our love is the kind that is quiet on the outside but loud on the inside. I want to love you like the space between lightning and thunder – electrified and alive but silent and knowing. And I want you to love me like the clouds love the rain. You’re going to have to let me go on my own sometimes, but I will always come back and we will always be two parts of the same thing.”

I’m not nearly as eloquent as Paige, but it gave me an idea. Instead of dabbling on dating sites (another employee at the elementary school I work in told me to join Match.com, so now I’m seriously considering being alone forever), I decided to make this list. So here you go — these are things that you should know about me, future suitors.

I am very possibly the least decisive person you will ever meet. I’m not joking, either. If you ask me what movie I want to see or what restaurant I want to eat at or what I want to do over the weekend, it’s almost a guarantee that my answer will be, “Anything!” It isn’t because I want to be difficult or because I want you to guess what I want. I genuinely don’t mind what we do (as long as there’s a vegetarian option at the restaurant).

I probably won’t be on time. Like, ever. I’ll be late to everything. All the time. (Unless it’s actually super time sensitive, then I promise I’ll be there approximately 30 seconds early.) Once upon a time, I swear that I was the type of person who was always early… but that time is long gone. It isn’t because I don’t want to see you or because I don’t respect your time. I don’t really have a concept of what time is.

I’m passionate and determined. And it may or may not sometimes border on obsessive. That is, if I get my heart set on something, I will do everything in my power to make it happen and I won’t give up until I’ve exhausted every last option. But being this way has allowed me to see some really amazing places in this world. Just don’t be surprised if I call you one morning and ask you to roadtrip across the country with me. Tomorrow.

I crave adventure. I want to see as many places as I can and meet as many new people as I can before I die. At this point in my life, I have no dreams about having kids and owning a home and settling down. Someday, sure. But right now, I want to travel and have as many adventures as possible.

I’m open minded, but you won’t change my opinions. I love learning about other peoples’ values and beliefs, but that doesn’t mean that I’m willing to change mine. I love tattoos and traveling. I’m an atheist and a vegetarian. I don’t mind if you hate tattoos and love Jesus, and I don’t think that those are deal-breaking differences — but I’m not going to change who I am. There’s a big difference between lecturing and engaging in honest dialogue, and I think that differences can really enrich relationships (friendships or otherwise).

Needless drama? No thanks. I’m not in high school anymore, and our relationship shouldn’t be either. Simplicity is magical.

I’m an open book. Anyone can ask me anything about myself, and it’s almost guaranteed that I’ll answer. I don’t believe in secrecy in general (of course, there are exceptions) or deception. There’s too much negativity in the world; there’s no need for me to pollute it as well.

I’m a realist, a pessimist, an optimist, a romantic, and a cynic. I don’t entirely know what I believe in regards to life and love. But who does at this point in their lives? And really, if you don’t know what to believe, isn’t anything possible?