You often hear people talk about twin flames, other halves, or kindred spirits, but have you ever wondered if they really exist? I used to be skeptical and thought that things like love at first sight or feeling an instant connection with someone only happens in movies and songs. I also thought that I would never date anyone after I broke up with my high school boyfriend; I realized that I never really loved him or enjoyed his company, so I figured that I would spend my life as a happily single woman. However, as I found out last summer, life had other plans.
During my summer internship, I made a lot of great friends, including some fellow Spartans, but I found myself drawn to one person in particular. All I knew about him was that he was my polar opposite in many ways: A proud Wolverine and diehard Michigan fan, an electrical engineering major, and someone who was not at all interested in politics and current events. During the first few months of our internship, our exchanges had been friendly but snarky, often including some good-natured banter about our colleges’ sports teams. Despite all these differences, I felt an inexplicable attraction to him and a desire to get to know him better. When I finally had a chance to really talk to him on July 25, 2022 (and yes, I remember the exact date), I realized that we had far more in common than I had previously thought.
I learned that we had the same favorite movie, “The Shawshank Redemption,” and that we had the same sense of humor. We both love the same cuisine, are extremely nerdy, and are very similar types of students. We started talking constantly, messaging each other during working hours and texting the night away. We were always on the same wavelength, thinking the same things and practically finishing each other’s sentences. During break time, we were attached at the hip, often driving each other to lunch or doing our best to be an unbeatable team at ping-pong or pool. I would often take my laptop and do my work for the day in his office, since many of my assignments did not require me to be at my desk. We started to hang out outside of work, organizing trivia nights or bowling outings with the other interns. It did not take long at all for me to realize that I loved him, but I realized it was a major problem that he only saw us as best friends.
As the final week of the internship arrived in mid-August with my return to East Lansing looming just around the corner, I knew I had to do something. I was extremely worried since I had often heard him emphatically state that he would never date a Spartan, but I really hoped he would make an exception for me. I realized that he would never be my true love if I never let him know that I was crazy about him, so one night as we hung out at his house, I impulsively expressed my feelings for him. I had dreamed about a fairy-tale-like situation where he would confess that he felt the same way about me, but instead he seemed surprised and really unsure of how to proceed. Somehow, work was not at all awkward the next day, and we remained as inseparable as ever, but I still felt a bit disappointed. On my final day on the job, we agreed to meet for breakfast so we could enjoy the last hours we had together. I still remember kissing him in the Tim Hortons parking lot like it was yesterday, and I remember our bittersweet conversation since neither of us knew how to move forward. We both wanted to try to make something work, but we just didn’t know what to do.
We kept in touch frequently as I went to Northern Michigan on vacation and later as we both returned to our campuses. I was glad that we continued to talk as frequently as we had when we were at work, but I felt disappointed and unsatisfied that nothing seemed to change between us. The next month was torture as I tried to find out if he really liked me as a romantic partner or if my love for him would remain forever unrequited. I tried to convince myself that it was okay to just be friends with him, but I still found myself listening to sad songs about loving someone that doesn’t love you back and ranting to my friends about how frustrating it was.
We finally got a chance to see each other again in September when I came to Ann Arbor for an event with my high school friends and he agreed to let me stay at his house. We had a fun time together, getting dinner and watching movies, but I still felt as if we were only friends. I pushed him to tell me how he felt about me, becoming even more discouraged as he couldn’t give me a straight answer. I knew he cared about me and enjoyed spending time with me, but it just wasn’t enough.
Finally, a few days later, we decided to officially become boyfriend and girlfriend. I was so excited, but still very sad that he was not ready to say that he loved me. I still felt as if I cared more about him than he did for me, even though this was really far from the truth. I have a hard time being patient when it comes to other people, but I knew I would just have to wait for him to come around. On Halloween, he made a surprise visit to MSU and we had a great time together. It was that night while we sat around watching Monday Night Football in my floor lounge that he finally said the three words I had been waiting forever to hear.
Since then, our love for each other has only grown deeper. He is there for me when I have bad days and has supported me as I have taken steps to better myself. He always encourages me whenever I have a big assignment or a job interview, since he knows that I struggle with anxiety and self-doubt. I try my best to reciprocate in every way I can, and I feel so lucky to be in a relationship with someone that would do anything for me. We may get into occasional disagreements about silly things like sports or temporarily get annoyed with each other, but I have never doubted for a second that he is the love of my life. I would not trade a second of the time I have with him for anything else and I know he feels the same way about me.
If I have learned anything since last July, it is that the right person will fill a place in your heart that you never knew was empty. I have never experienced happiness or joy like I have when I am around him, and have never felt such longing as I have when we are apart. If you are lucky enough to have found the person who completes you, you know exactly what I mean. I don’t know if everyone has a soulmate, but I am 100% sure that I do. My only regret is that it took me 18.5 years to find him.