What’s she like? Your mother asks, trying to get the scoop. You freeze; you have no idea how to describe her. You search for words that have come to mind with previous girls you’ve dated, such as girly, sporty, shy, outgoing, sweet, but you deem none of them fit. “Free” you whisper, more to yourself than to Mom. “Free is the only word that seems to even begin to describe her.” Your mother nods, her smile, her silence, her no need for further questioning, it tells all.

1.She will make you more aware of your surroundings.

You never really thought much of your hometown; in fact, you were always one of those kids who constantly talked about how you couldn’t wait to pack up and move away, head off to New York City, maybe hit the west coast, you know, anywhere but here. Then you met her. Suddenly you find yourself noticing and appreciating, rivers, lakes, trees, and back roads that you never paid any attention to before meeting her. You realize it was never about where you live, but entirely about how you live and who is by your side along the way.

2.Money and material things do not impress her.

Before her, you thought diamonds were a girl’s best friend, you believed the fancier the restaurant and the more expensive the gifts, the more impressed she’d be. With her, it’s different. You showed up with a dozen roses on your first Valentine’s Day together, she smiled and thanked you, but then, three months later on some summer afternoon, you picked her wildflowers from the side of the road and she lit up like the fourth of July. In an instant, you realized money does not impress her, thoughtfulness and kindness impresses her and you loved her more for it.

3. She will teach you to see the world through softer eyes.

She has the utmost respect for her loved ones, for strangers, for Earth, you are mesmerized by her kindness, her empathy, her compassion for all things living. You knew she was rubbing off on you when you called your friend a litter bug after he chucked his cigarette butt out the window. Hell, you don’t even dare kill bees anymore because she’s taught you the importance of them; you even caught yourself worrying about your mothers dying houseplant for fucks sake. You’ve always considered yourself a pretty decent guy, but something about her makes you want to be the best version of yourself you can possibly be, for you, for her, and for the world.

4.She will show you that there is beauty in imperfection.

When she was 7, her Dad took her to the animal shelter to adopt her first kitten, quickly after arriving, she left happily, with a mangy looking, 5-year-old cat in her arms. She’s a firm believer in fixing things that are broken rather than throwing them away, be it that old Chevy truck or her relationship with her mother, she’s putting forth the effort to make things right again.

5. Every day with her will feel like an adventure.

She’s always gypsying around trying to discover new places, new people, and new things. She’s fascinated by the road less traveled. She has you trying new things on a consistent basis and just when you think you can barely keep up with her, she turns around and hands you a simple, quiet day and yet somehow, it is still just as memorable as the days full of adventure. You realize then, you are completely hers, and you pray to God that she’ll have you, forever.

6. It will be impossible to ever forget her.

Everything will remind you of her, and if for some reason it doesn’t, it will then make you ask “I wonder what she thinks of this”. Things like sunrises and sunsets, the ocean in September, wildflowers, bees doing their jobs, chunky baby legs taking their first steps, back roads in October, a good book, they all bring back the scent of her skin and the smell of her hair. These little things that flood you with memories of her, they will either make you feel alive, or they will damn near kill you, depending of course, on whether or not she’s still a part of your life.

7. She will want you, but she does not need you.

She is warm and she is gentle, but she is also fiercely independent. Girls like her, they know who they are, and well, girls who know who they are and what they want, they are a force to be reckoned with. If she gives you the boot from her life, she will most certainly miss you, but it had to be done, she will not settle for anything less than what she deserves. In her world, she is the sun, not you.