Shaun and I met in a way that most would expect in this newer generation: through a dating app. While I was out camping with some friends, one of my good friends, Nagisa, begged me to get on a dating app with him. I had no desire to as I was in no interest to seek a partner, but I did it just so my friend would leave me alone. A day or so after the trip, I was going to delete the app when I saw his profile. I thought he was cute, and not to mention he was going to the same college I was preparing to transfer to. I decided to match with him as friends. I wanted to know someone by the time I got out to college and figured this was a good way of doing it. We chatted and quickly became close to one another. Neither of us were looking for a relationship per se, but we felt a connection we couldn’t shake. So we decided to wait until we met in person before we decided on going through with a relationship.

Spoiler Alert: We didn’t.

The more we chatted each day, the more we wanted to get closer to one another. He was the first guy I had met in a long time that I could tell was actually interested in what I was saying and genuinely wanted to learn about my interests and struggles. Eventually, we decided to just jump in head first. We met in person a month later and knew we had made the right choice. My cousin, Bella, came with me in the event she saw something my love struck self wouldn’t see. She did the Cotten-eyed-Joe with me behind the hotel to relax myself as I was a nervous wreck before meeting him. She watched us fall in love all over again when meeting in person. She could tell he was a good one.

We were dating long-distance for about half a year before I moved out for college. When I arrived, we were inseparable. So much has happened over the years that has made us grow closer to one another and have a stronger bond. We aren’t a perfect couple, no one is. But we are dysfunctional together, and I’d say that’s a lot more fun than being “perfect”.