Only a few short days after my sixteenth birthday, I was sitting on the floor of my home's entryway, and my mother placed a black lab puppy in my lap. I instantly loved that dog.

Love is found in many different places. My mother had me at a very young age and always use to say that I was the first person she ever loved, I learned a lot from that mentality and learned a lot about love through my bond with my mom. You will never see a mother-daughter duo as close as we are. A little over a decade ago, my mother met my stepfather. As polar opposites, I mean c'mon, he's a Red Sox fan, it is more obvious these days than ever before that he can make her laugh. And they are a team unlike every other, always bouncing ideas off of each other and calling each other when they are bored at work, or need to gossip to the other.

That is what I always wanted in a significant other, and my mother made sure to reiterate that when I was seventeen. Only a few short days after a reality check, I somehow managed to find my person. My boyfriend understands that I have a weird sense of humor, and that I always like to be right. Even my siblings adore this man, and watching him put my sister to bed after she falls asleep on the floor will never fail to warm my heart. His parents raised a wonderful kid, and I cannot thank them enough for that.

Relationships are wonderful, but there are so many more ways to see love. Through going to school, I have managed to find love in nature. There are hidden spots on small campuses that are absolute gems. Pets are another one. Although I am partial to dogs, I am a firm believer that pets do not live as long as humans because they just love and love, they do not focus on other things in life as we do. I also love what I am doing with my life. Computer science can make me want to cry, but at the end of the day it is so satisfying to love what you are doing with your life. Especially when your codes work correctly.

Life is a journey, and when you find the little things in life to love, it makes it that much better. I am incredibly grateful for how far I have come, I was once so cold hearted and now I make sure to pour love into everything I do. Surround yourself with love, those who you love, and those who love you, even if it's just a black lab puppy.