1.Love and relationships can be some of the most complicated experiences of your twenties.
2.But you should try to have as much fun with it as you can — especially if you’re young, not married, don’t have any kids, in-laws, or a mortgage.
3.Online dating can be somewhat of a gamble.
4.But don't shy away from it because of the negative stigma — sometimes it actually works out in your favor.
5.It's OK to be happy in a serious, monogamous relationship even if everyone else around you is single and ~ loving it. ~
6.Sex is way, way better when you’re doing it with someone who cares about your own pleasure instead of just their own.
7.You have to go after what you want instead of assuming it’ll just come to you or fall into your lap.
8.Real life isn’t like anything you see in romantic comedies. Your bae will not organize a flash mob for you in Grand Central.
9.The general concept of having one soulmate becomes increasingly unattainable and unrealistic.
10.Although, you might actually find pleasure in knowing that there is more than one person in the world you can be compatible and happy with.
11.No one is perfect. There's really no such thing as the perfect person, partner, or relationship.
12.You have to accept people for their flaws — sometimes flaws and imperfections can even be endearing.
13.However, there *is* such a thing as being in a toxic, harmful relationship. You’ll [unfortunately] know it when you see it.
14.At some point, you'll probably feel a little pressure to get married and settle down.
15.Because you see viral proposals and engagement announcements on Facebook all around you.
16.But there isn't one universal time frame or set of guidelines that you have to follow in order to be happy.
17.Casual dating can be a really fun way to learn a lot about yourself and other people.
18.Breaking up with someone sucks, but sometimes it's the right thing to do.
19.Getting broken up with also sucks, but the silver lining is you deserve to be with someone who actually wants to be with you too.
20.You also shouldn’t be surprised if people ghost on you without saying a proper good-bye. (They don’t deserve your time, either.)
21.You might fall in love more than once, and each time will feel new, different, scary, and awesome.
22.The saying “Time heals all wounds” is cliché but also kind of true. Time is really helpful when it comes to feeling better and letting things go.
23.Don’t bank on finding your “fairy tale ending.” That’s not a thing, and it’s *really* not a thing when you’re still figuring out things about yourself and your own life independent from someone else.
24.Most important, you get to create your own definition of what love and happiness looks like.
