Falling In Love 100 Times
When I was 19, I was told by a peer that she hoped to fall in love hundreds of times. As an aspiring twenty-something, I thought I knew what she meant. Now, I realize that I had no blasted idea. Hell, I still don’t.
At 19, I could grasp that people could fall in love every day. Where I was, I was falling in love with the kids I worked with, my job, the Alps, the trains. That part was easy.
In the last three years, I’ve fallen in love at least a hundred times. I think back to the day I was told that, and nearly scoff at it. Of course, falling in love is easy. Goodbyes and falling out of love is the hard part.
I came home and fell in love with my state, major, university. I fell head over heels for my boyfriend, stouts and porters, new friends, tattoos, apartments, my car, music festivals and travel. I’ve slowly fallen out of love with my belongings and well… Like I said, that’s the hard part.
I think about how she phrased it. ”Yeah, I think people should fall in love at least a hundred times before they settle down.” It seemed extreme at the time, especially given the context.
What I have realized since that summer is that I was made not for one person, not for many people, but for me. I carry the usual insecurities of a 22 year old now, but try every day to fall in love. With me.
Hundreds of times.. a day? I’m still falling in love with everything around me. Today, I fell in love with the path that gets me to class faster, the 3 hole punch in the lab, and the fact that SkullCandy gives extra earbud protectors with every set of headphones (it’s finals, obviously.)
I hope I never stop learning what ‘falling in love at least a hundred times’ means, so I can continue to share my love. Whether it be for Sound Tribe, books, learning, food, or my couch, I strive to be transparent and virtuous, so that I may emulate the greatest gift.