What is it like to fall in love with your best friend? The first thing is that it results in pure joy. It makes you want to sing, dance, and embrace the fullness of life. You don't want to sleep because reality is better than your dreams. All of your worries melt away when you see them, and you always want to be by their side.

Initially, we were close friends for roughly three years. We attend the same university where I am a writing major, and he is a double major in anthropology and history. For a little less than two years of that time frame, I dated someone else after I met them at a tea shop in 2018. Fast forward to June, slightly less than three weeks before my 21st birthday, and my ex-boyfriend dumped me over dinner. I didn't cry in the restaurant, but I lost it when I returned home. I had a tearful conversation with my mom, who was my rock while I healed spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

I celebrated my 21st birthday with friends and family, revamped my plans for work and grad school, and wrote to pass the time. Little did I know I would fall in love with my best friend a couple of weeks before the semester began. However, I do not remember much of the roughly two-month span between my breakup and the day he asked me out.

I had just returned from work when I got an invitation to briefly tour the natural history museum on campus and visit a new aquarium in Oklahoma City. I had nothing to do that day, so I accepted the invitation. Two days later, we toured the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks, a Tulsa suburb, and visited their new sea turtle exhibit. The next day, after a long, stressful day at work, my best friend asked me to be his girlfriend.

Since we became a couple, I sang for the first time since a major operation in my sophomore year, danced for the first time in years, and felt indescribable joy for the first time since my freshman year. The best advice I can give is that when it comes to dating, you can never fail with your best friend. Currently, my only regret is not falling in love with him sooner.

So, what is like to fall in love with your best friend? It is like a sunbeam that chases gray days away. It is everything right with our crazy world. You have someone that can laugh with you immediately before pulling you in for a kiss. Knowing that you can be your authentic self around the one you love makes life more enjoyable, especially in chaotic times.