My whole life I have always been the single friend. I never really paid any attention to boys nor did I care enough to. My friends would always discuss their relationship problems, crushes and dates. While all this happened, I always silently sat in a corner listening, offering advice when asked and worrying about my next test. Now, there is nothing wrong with worrying about crushes and honing in on attraction. However, it didn't really cross my mind and I was okay with that. People would always ask me why I'm single and how come I never cared. I was even jokingly deemed 'the single friend' by a few people. It was a little lonely sometimes but I completely embrace it now.

Recently, I have been obsessed with Tori Kelly's song 'Dear No One.' It talks about a girl who, although lonely at times, is happy with herself and knows she doesn't need a relationship to be happy. The song quickly became my anthem as I could relate completely to the lyrics and it got me thinking. Over the years, I have learned to ignore the side comments and be happy with myself. Love is always in the air and people would never forget to remind me, especially on Valentine's Day. For a while, I felt like my whole worth depended on having a significant other. But, after years of constant self-love and "searching for myself," I finally learned that I'm okay being "alone."

I'm happy being single because it means I have time to focus on myself. I like being single because I am independent and don't like worrying about somebody else's thoughts on what I'm doing. I like being single because I like making dinner for myself and going out alone. I like being single because I like reading poetry and writing on Friday nights. I like being single because it gives me time to focus on myself. I like being single because I don't have to worry about trying to impress someone. I like being single because I don't like being tied down. I like being single because I can travel, experience and learn new things. I like being single because I am a goal oriented person. I like being single because I want to work on myself. I like being single because I know I don't need another person to be happy.

I'm so happy for anyone in a relationship and hopefully one day I can have that super cute, super happy, romantic ending. But I know that for now, I'm perfectly happy being by myself and not actively pursuing anything. I don't care if people around me question why I'm alone, I don't care to have people try to set me up "because I need a boyfriend" and I certainly don't care about anything other than achieving my huge dreams and goals right now. For those of you like me, I want you to know it's okay not having a significant other. Make sure you are 100% confident and happy with yourself before you decide to be in a relationship. Remember that you will find your "happily ever after" but you shouldn't force it. Take your time as a single person to learn about yourself, love yourself and experience new things. You will come out of it happier, healthier and more refreshed.