I was never the girl who had a different boyfriend every two weeks growing up. I wasn't even the girl to have a different boyfriend every year. Okay, I'm just going to be real with y'all. I don't date, and no, it isn't because I don't have the opportunity

Believe me, as a semi-attractive (And I'm talking like a 5/10 y'all.) young girl, all I have to do is fix my hair, put on mascara, and walk into the nearest Waffle House to get a man. Y'all girls out there know. There is no shortage of desperate men in this world. It's just all about finding one that isn't a little creepy or doesn't have a terrible haircut, or mayyybeee doesn't hang out in Waffle House looking for dates. I'm not trashing WH by any means, and if you met the love of your life at one, good for you, but I meeeeannnn...

(ALSO speaking of, if you met the love of your life at a Waffle House hit me up because that's good article material. Let's talk.)

The truth is that I'm not afraid of commitment, and it's not that I "just haven't found anyone yet", or even that I enjoy being single and able to do whatever I want. The truth is that I don't need anyone else in order to feel whole. I am complete entirely on my own, and I don't want to have to mold myself to fit someone else's puzzle.

Not dating for pretty much my whole life gave me a sense of independence and allowed me to really dive deep and figure out exactly who I was. Now, don't get me wrong, I know everyone has their own ~process~ and life to figure out, and if you feel like being in relationships is what really helps you better get to know yourself, I totally understand that and support it. I also don't care if you've dated 2000 men. Or if you're in a new relationship every other day. You do you. You're allowed to experience this life in whatever way you choose. It's yours.

But personally, for me, I realized somewhere along the way that this "missing piece" I was searching for wasn't a significant other. I realized that it was something within myself that I had to find on my own, and I did. It took a lot of soul-searching, and a lot of discouraged feelings, but eventually within myself, I found a certain confidence and individualism.

So no, I don't date. Eventually one day I would love to find someone to share my life with, but until then I'm not exactly out there searching, because as much as I would love to have someone, I don't need anyone else to come in and let me adopt their life, and at my age it's hard to find someone else who understands my mentality of "I don't need you" without feeling like I don't want them around.

I am whole entirely on my own. The day I meet someone who, instead of asking me to complete their puzzle, shows me how well they compliment my already finished one will be the day I date a man.