To all the romantics. To the people who devour romance books but have yet to experience the real thing. To the people who have never been kissed. To the people who have had a hundred kisses but await the perfect one. To the people who are mending broken hearts. To the people who are confused. To the people falling in love. To the people who have loved the same person for many years.

      To any and every person,

     You can be that person who treats you right.

     You can be that person who showers you with love and makes you feel special.

     You can be that person with whom you create the most beautiful memories.

     You do not need a partner to start romanticizing your life.

     I spent so many years waiting for that special person. I created this ideal man in my head and I waited years and years for him. For well over a decade I pictured my life with this dream man. Pictured the amazing things we would experience. I imagined him by my side during the achievements of all my dreams.

     He became the dream.

     All my dreams, involved him in some way, and I came to feel that I could not accomplish anything without him.

     I was waiting for this person that was going to love my imperfections and teach me to love myself. I was waiting for him to come find my and fix me so that I could start living.

     It might sound ridiculous, but I've only recently come to realize that I've been holding back in life, because I've constantly been waiting.

      Waiting for the perfect circumstances. Waiting for the perfect man.

      I waited for this person to love me, so that I could feel what love meant.

     I waited for this person who would force me to take a break. To help me relax by running a bath on my busiest nights.

      I waited for this person who would remind me to eat. Who would pour me a glass of water and make sure I took care of myself when I got caught up in my studies or work.

      I waited for this person who would join me in dancing in the rain.

     I waited for this person who would love me with such an intensity that they would push me to follow my dreams.

       I waited for this person who would encourage me to pursue a career that I was actually passionate about.

      I waited...

      I waited for so long and for so many things because I lead myself to believe that I could never live those moments without him.

      It never occurred to me that I could be that person.

      I could be the person to romanticize my life.

     I could buy myself flowers.

      I could make myself a nice meal, or take myself out to a fancy diner.

     I could run my own bath and decorate it with rose pedals and candles.

     I could dance around in my lingerie and admire my own beauty.

     I could dance in the rain to the beat of my own music.

     I could love myself.

As I wrote this, I sat under the dark sky, by myself.

     I had always wanted to stargaze. I've long had a fascination with the universe and space. The upcoming Perseid meteor shower is the perfect opportunity to lay under the stars and let myself be amazed by the world we live in.

     I've long romanticized stargazing. Because while it's such a simple activity, it can be quite romantic. I've imagined and written many stories that involve stargazing dates. I couldn't wait to experience my own.

      I remember countless late night drives with my parents, where my small hand rested against the window, and wide eyes were strained on the sky and the pictures painted by the stars.

      The stars brought me peace, as a child. I used to search the stars until I found the brightest one. Obsessed with the idea of finding my soulmate, at that age, I used to tell myself that they were somewhere out there, looking up that same star. That they found solace in the notion of searching for the brightest star and knowing that I was looking upon it too.

     The stars still bring me peace. Spotting that brightest star still fills my chest with peace. They still help to remind me of the largeness of life and endless possibilities that rest in this reality. They remind me of the child that still hides within me. The child that wants to take my hand as we lay in the wet grass and stare up at the sky.

      The child that waited so long to live freely.

      The child that joined me that night.

      Some might think I looked funny. That I looked lonely or sad, but I was and am quite content.

      Breathing in the fresh air, listening to the crickets and studying the stars that I've always loved, I felt nothing other than contentment, because this was a long time coming.

     I felt far from alone. I wasn't haunted by the sense of an absence beside me. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

      Why did I wait so long let myself truly admire the night sky?

     There is no loneliness in experiencing romantic moments by myself.

     I've never felt so free. So content. So at peace with the universe.

      All of those moments I've been waiting to live, I will push myself to face now.

     Because I see that there's no need to wait.

     And if soulmates are real and mine is out there, we can still have our moment, one day.

     In the meantime, I can have my own moments.