I believe in love at first sight and the idea that there is someone out there meant for me. I believe in having a significant other who is also a best friend and working with them through every obstacle in life and never giving up in the process. I believe in growing old with someone and having a happy ending that rivals the fairy tales and Nicholas Sparks novels. I am a hopeless romantic and I am in love with the idea of being in love.

While being in a relationship is not my number one priority in life, it is somewhat important to me. I am independent and I am more than capable of doing things on my own and being my own person. I can pay for my own dinner and keep myself occupied when I'm alone. I don't need someone to make me happy because I'm more than qualified to do it myself. But I am also a firm believer in the idea that life is better if it is spent with someone special. Memories made together are better memories than the ones made alone because there is always someone to share them with. And while I can be happy without someone telling me they love me, my happiness is greater when they do.

I am an idealist and a dreamer and when I love, I love hard. It makes letting people go incredibly difficult, but the love is still there even when I do. For me, it doesn't just fade away. Everyone that I have ever loved and lost still matters to me. I still love them. I'm always in love, whether it be with someone or just the idea of something. I love the concept of hope and wishing for a successful future and I love the idea of romance.

I believe in chivalry because people are wrong when they say that it's dead. There are still men who hold open doors and let a lady pass through first and there are men who actually plan out date nights and walk on the street side of the sidewalk. They still exist. And I'm a sucker for romantic gestures like handwritten notes and photos captured in the moment. I enjoy being given a box of chocolates on Valentine's Day along with stuffed teddy bears and notes saying "I love you." Forehead kisses are my favorite and holding hands while walking in public makes me happy.

I am a hopeless romantic and there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with me wanting someone to love me and take care of me when I'm sick or upset. There is nothing wrong with me wanting someone to surprise me with tulips or roses and make promises to me that they fully intend on keeping. There is nothing wrong with being a hopeless romantic. In fact, people like me aren't really hopeless at all. We are romantics who believe in love and finding someone who completes us and that is not hopeless. We are hopeful romantics.