Finding True Love, My Personal Love Story

I call myself a celebrator and cultivator of love, which means that I recognize how incredible the phenomenon of True Love is. That love, and that journey, is worthy of celebration because your path to finding the amazing person you’re meant to spend your life with is such an adventure. Filled with mountains to climb, and valleys to roam through, these adventures are worth the trials and tribulations when they lead you to the love of your life. I’m very familiar with this journey.

There have been three times where I deeply loved someone and thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with them. The first two relationships were a bit tumultuous; I learned so much from those two, but there was a lot of heartache along the way. I had accepted a proposal from one of those relationships, and ultimately ended that engagement about two years later. That was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, but I knew it was the right choice for my happiness and well-being, and hopefully for the other person as well. I felt defeated and kind of like used goods–I didn’t know if I would ever find True Love, but I knew that I wanted it and deserved it. I dreamt of every last detail of what that relationship would look like, unknowingly bringing myself closer to finding the love of my life. He would drive a truck, love the outdoors, ask me to dance in the living room, snuggle by the fire… it all felt like a beautiful daydream, but where was Prince Charming?

Andy and I had first met each other back in high school when he dated a girl in my friend circle. He was a cute, three-sport athlete, and I was a choir nerd with my nose in the books. We didn’t interact with each other, we were never really on each other’s radar. After I had ended my engagement, I decided to try online dating, and Andy’s profile came up. I didn’t think we would have ANYTHING in common, but he was still cute as ever and his Tinder tagline was something along the lines of “Let’s go fishing in the dark.” Something told me I should swipe right and see what would happen. We grabbed a beer shortly after we matched on Tinder, and we fell for each other hard and fast. Everything that I had daydreamed about and more came to life with Andy.

We drove around in his truck, explored the outdoors with our dogs, and after snuggling by the fire one night, he asked me to dance in my living room. Even greater than those minute details, his arms felt like home and his heart was made of solid gold. We took turns opening up to one another and building bridges of trust between us. It seems crazy to admit, but after three weeks of dating, we knew we were in love. It has been the absolute greatest adventure, and I would travel my whole journey of love all over again if it meant I would end up here.

My personal love story has shown me how important it is to celebrate great loves, and to continue to cultivate love in our relationships throughout their lifetimes. I treasure the opportunities I have to hear other people’s love stories and document some of the best moments in their lives. It’s an incredible responsibility, and one that I don’t take lightly. Love is the greatest gift we can give and receive, and I’m determined to spread love throughout the world. I’m so grateful you’re along on this journey, thank you for being here.

Love Always,

Kate