My best friend from my freshman year of college became my boyfriend at the beginning of my sophomore year. I think a lot of people have had that moment when they realize that they have feelings for a close friend, but they try to ignore it to preserve the friendship. That was my initial reaction, too. However, I quickly gave in, and it didn’t take long for me to see that it was not, in fact, a disastrous decision. It’s actually been pretty fun, for a lot of reasons.

First, a lot of the initial nerves weren’t there. You’ve been there: the awkward first dates where you focus way too much on every little move you make, trying not to look like a dork. Or you watch what you’re eating, or how you eat it, trying to preserve that “cute” first impression you hope he has of you. When you start dating someone you already have history with, you don’t worry as much about all of that.

As a follow-up, there’s not as much pressure to have “perfect” dates when you date a friend. Sure, you still want things to have that exciting feel, but for some reason, even a trip to Sheetz can feel like a perfect date when you have the right connection with your partner. Plus, as an added bonus, there’s less guessing about what your partner might see as a fun date. You’ve already been hanging out long enough to know that they like Disney movies or hiking or going to museums. So you probably won’t end up on an outing at a botanical garden with someone sniffling from severe allergies.

And while you’re out with your partner, you’re not sacrificing time with your friends. When you’re dating your best friend, it’s likely that you share a lot of your other friends. This means that you don’t have to worry if your significant other’s friends like you, because you already hang out on a regular basis. You might find yourself not minding if a few friends come along when you go out with your partner, because it feels like things are still like they were before you started dating.

Body issues aren’t such a big deal, either. How many times do you tell your friends that you think you’re fat, or that you hate your nose, or that you think your toes look weird? They already know about all these insecurities. When you start dating one of your friends, you’re not worried that they secretly think your nose is too big, because they’ve already told you that it’s sort of ridiculous that you think that.

The best part of dating your best friend, at the end of the day, might be the communication. You already know how to talk to each other. If something comes up, you’re not running to someone else to talk about it, because this is your someone else. When you date your best friend, it’s somehow easier to tell them to knock it off when you don’t like something, or to explain that you wish they’d do something differently.

Dating your best friend can be scary if you think about how it could end, but if you’re willing to take that risk, it could turn out to be pretty amazing.