Letters to my Former Single Self

I have to admit,

I don't have the most dating experience. 

If you've been paying attention,

you know that I met Robbie when I was fourteen

(our first real conversation was on AOL Instant Messenger ha)

and dated him on and off in high school

and completely through college.

However,  when I heard about Lisette doing this link up

I knew I still wanted to participate.

Because I have a lot that I would want to tell my "single-pre-marriage" self.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Dear 6-year-old self,

Right now you think boys are gross, as you should.
But believe it or not, one day you're going to want
to marry someone other than your daddy.
I know...it's hard to believe.
But it will happen.
Until then, enjoy every second with your number one man.

Dear 12-year-old self,

It's totally okay to "go out" with him
even if you don't really like him.
After all, you're never going to actually "go" anywhere with him.
He's a nice enough guy (even though he's shorter than you)
and it's only going to last a week anyway.
Just whatever you do...don't let him kiss you.
Your reputation starts now, ya know.

Dear 14-year-old self,
Welcome to high school,
the land of boys, drama, and boys.
Whatever you do, play it cool.
Don't be afraid to talk to new people, this your chance.
You're an extrovert, remember?
There's no need to hyperventilate after giving a boy your number.

(True story: when Robbie first asked me for my phone number I paced around our bonus room for a good hour anticipating his call. I was so nervous. Not to mention I had to give him my house phone number because I didn't even own a cell phone yet and had given my entire family a mini lecture about not answering the phone. It was a stressful time in 2003.)

Also, remember that "prince charming"
from your younger days (aka dad),
don't completely let go of that idea.
You're just getting started on this whole dating thing
and some guys are only going to be mediocre
while others are going to be plain gross
(your 6 year old self wasn't completely off)
but you will find a diamond in the rough
sooner than you think, actually,
although you won't realize how perfect he is for you right away.
And that's okay. I'm not going to spoil the fun.
Learning is half the journey.

In the meantime, follow your gut and your heart.
Dating is supposed to be about having fun.
And boyfriends are supposed to make you laugh,
put you first and be 100% honest with you.
These are things that you already know
(cause you're just a genius 14 year old)
but things that you will inevitably lose sight of along the way
(cause you're just a silly 14 year old).
In the meantime, enjoy the awkward dates...
you almost always get a free meal out of the deal.

~

If you're interested in joining in on the fun,
we'll be here all month (ba-dum-chhh)

But really, these letters will be happening every Friday
starting today
until every single girl's favorite day:
February 15.
(the day after Valentine's Day, when things resume back to normal in love world.)

This week the focus is how your view of dating has changed since you were little.
Mine went from gross to awkward to fun(ish). 
Next week, we'll be going back to the year before "the one".

Grab a button.
Write a letter.
Check out some links below.
You know the drill.

Hugs,