Is true love just a myth?

True love.

Is it a cliché that we hear and see in the movies, but never really come across in real life? Or is it something that we still believe in and some so desperately crave for and chase after? Sometimes, especially after a difficult relationship and even more difficult break up, it is hard to even grasp the concept of love, let alone try to envision yourself finding it again. I, somehow, some way got lucky.

After a failed relationship, that thinking back now, was pretty much doomed anyways, I took some time for myself and learned to appreciate, value and love myself like I had never done before. I changed my hair, focused on work and studies, spent a lot of time cleaning (that has always worked as some sort of a relaxation method when I need to take my mind off things) and fair enough, drank a decent amount of wine to the point that the guy at my corner liquor store pretty much learned which wines I like. It was not an easy stage, it involved some tears and sulking, as well as sleepless nights but the end result was much happier, much more content and level-headed version of myself.

Following this stage, came the going out, seeing what’s out there-type of dating. I signed up for some dating apps, talked to a ridiculous amount of people, went on so many dates that my friends could not keep up with names anymore; most of them not leading to much else than one dinner and a drink. Some had potential, but didn’t make it, whether it was someone who ghosted me after hanging out intensively for three weeks, someone whose nightstand had a pair of hoop earrings on it (certainly not mine!) or someone who was way too into me after two dates and I had to call it quits. I could have written a good comedy show script with all my dating chronicles.

Until one day, he came by. We spent ours on the phone, talked about anything and everything, and before I knew it, he told me he’s in love with me and shortly after that we already moved in together. He’s perfect.

Dating in your 30s, whether it is early, mid or late 30s, is not easy. There’s a type of pressure involved, whether it is internal or external, like our society telling us that by this time you should have a solid career, a marriage and a mortgage that swallows 50% of your paycheck every month.  I may have not had the most typical or conventional path of life, but at the end of the day, I’m perfectly happy with the way things have rolled on.

Lately I’ve spent a lot of time talking with my friends about settling down, true loves and all the things that come with finding someone you want to share your life with. Many of my friends, the same ones who we spent countless of girls’ nights out and sharing hopeless dating stories, are currently in happy, solid relationships, preparing their wedding, traveling around the world or filing their taxes together. Love and happiness find their ways.

While this post is probably full of cheese, clichés and sounds like it is written looking through rose-colored glasses, the point is that your past does not define your future when it comes to love and happiness. While you should never count on someone else being responsible for your happiness, having someone by your side, supporting you, believing you, laughing and crying with you brings an additional element to your life that could never be achieved alone. Life brings us lemons, but it also brings us a bucketful of cotton candy, rainbows and unicorns when you least expect it.