Cue that awkward point in your life when most of your friends have had their first loves by 18 and you still have yet to find one person you're interested in. For the ladies who can relate, you weren't single because you couldn't snag someone; you were simply holding out for someone better, someone you could really connect with. You didn't want to waste time with the might-have-beens, the jerks, or the players — reasons I actively avoided dating in middle school and even high school.
Although many people would argue you have to date around to truly discover what you want, I can confidently say when you know, you know. And if you're the more guarded and picky type like I am, finding that special someone could take some time, but it's completely worth it. For me, the "I want to date this guy" moment didn't happen until sophomore year of college, when I was 20. Even though it was my first-ever relationship, I didn't put any pressure on it and instead just rolled with it.
I've come to realize there are probably a lot of women out there who haven't dated anyone until their early or even late 20s, and that's OK. We're still young — what's the rush? In fact, going on your first date as a 20-something is way more exciting. My boyfriend is still the only guy I've ever dated. We've been together for three years now, and these are some lessons I've learned along the way.