Every little girl dreams of a day when she'll meet her prince charming (or her princess charming, we don't judge here). When that little girl grows up, she gets into romantic comedies and thinks of the fun and quirky way she'll meet her beloved. What those movies don't tell her is what comes before the director yells "action."

See, we all know a friend who met their perfect match their first time around. As for us others, we can do nothing more than hope that when it comes to the third time we're set in what we want and how to get it. That was me, six months ago. Without going too far into details (because we're not about exposing people, in this article at least), I'll just say I fell in love with someone who I knew could never love me back the same way. And six months ago, I realized that they'd never love me back and decided to break free.

Six months ago, you could ask me what goes into a loving relationship and my answer would be "sacrifice." I had broken my own heart because I knew that I needed to love myself before I let anyone else fully in. I didn't think there was that romantic comedy guy out there for me. I didn't think that you could get the whole package.

Well, past me, you couldn't be more wrong.

See, you may not introduce your dream guy in some quirky meet-cute way. Heck, you could swipe right on him just for his dog and not even really pay attention to what he looks like until after you match. What matters is there's your connection. You're gonna be shy opening up and not want to put yourself out there. He's going to push you but not in an aggressive way...in a way that makes you feel safe. You're gonna tell him you don't want anything serious and he'll accept that. Fast-forward two weeks, and you're kicking yourself because this dude is really something special and you DO want something serious. He's not gonna make fun of you for that, but I can't promise you that he won't laugh when you bring it up.

Six months ago you didn't think that a guy could be all about you and just you. When in reality, there is a man who will not go a day without screenshotting your "just woke up" selfie because he can't take how beautiful you are. (Yes, I know that is such a youngin' thing to say but it's cute, OK?). He'll literally brag to his friends about you so often they start Facebook friending you and following your social media.

Six months ago you thought that a man couldn't take you for your mental illness. Girl... really? If they are about you, then it is ABOUT YOU. What makes you who you are, good and bad. They'll always be there to reassure you, no matter how often you bring it up. They'll be there to hold you when you get an anxiety attack in the middle of the night and tell you "that's it?" This one is gonna be an ongoing battle, but he'll be there. He's really not going anywhere I promise.

Six months ago you were too afraid to call someone out if they did something wrong. Confrontation is a wonderful thing, my dear. Take that issue right to them. I know this is hard to believe but people really cannot read minds. Tell them about that one thing they did that made you mad. Or ask them about their past relationship to figure out what went wrong. You need to be able to swallow your pride and admit that you don't have the answers.

Six months ago, I was trying to figure out who I was. Today, it's in progress but I know that it's worth the heartbreak that I went through.