When I was a child, I believed that love was just as I had seen in every movie. I thought I would be walking down the hall one day, and the love of my life would turn the corner and knock the books out of my arms. As I started to grow up, I realized love was more like a pop quiz; unexpected, difficult, and out of your control.

My first love was definitely one of my biggest lessons learned. The time we were together was like everything you saw in the movies. It was filled with spontaneity, passion, and smiles. Unfortunately, our ending was similar to most Taylor Swift songs. I packed up pictures, stuffed animals, everything that even slightly reminded me of him. I then had to figure out how to fill a void that my body had never experienced before. At fifteen years old, I am not sure much else could had prepared me for the months to follow this fall out.

Love is a tricky thing and its rarity seems to just increase with time. In this generation, we have become so caught up in others' relationships. We set our relationship expectations based on the actions of someone else's significant other. I think we want so badly to have what other people do, that we are not willing to try and write our own stories. We are reaching for an impossible standard to impress everyone else, while not considering the things that matter most to us.

I am no expert at love, believe me, I have had my fair share of "frogs." I just think it's sad that people like the chase more than the romance. It's sad to see people "falling out of love." Communication and trust are so important, but I see so many relationships end because of cheating and simple needs not being met. It's unsettling when I see someone post how upset they are because their significant other is too busy to care. I mean when did relationships become so public anyway?

Most girls think love is a series of fancy dates and red roses, when it is quite the opposite. Love is more than pictures posted on the internet. Love is more than "promposals." Love is more than the amount of money spent or the presents received. Love is so much more than meets the eye.

Love is sweatpants and pizza at the end of a long day. Love is the wiping away of tears and long drives when you can not get your thoughts in order. Love is sleeping better while laying next to each other and smiling even though nothing is said. Love is grocery shopping and laughing the entire time. Love is looking into someone else's eyes and feeling pure warmth throughout your body. Love is compromise and sacrifices because nothing is worth losing that one person. Love is sticking around through the darkest of nights, so you can experience the brightest of days. Love is finding comfort in someone else. Love is putting someone before yourself.

"Love is patient, love is kind." // 1 Corinthians 13:4-8