But maybe those things are like background noise if you’re from here. Maybe you have to experience this as a whole new place to appreciate it like I do.

Do you want to be with Dave for the rest of your life?” Then he rips off a piece of paper and picks up the smallest charcoal stick from my set. He writes something. He passes it over to me. It says: Time will tell. “And while you’re waiting,” he says, “don’t settle for anything less than what you really want.

And there are a million possibilities. Like the possibility of going separate ways. Together.

It is easier with the right person. A good test of a relationship is how well you both deal with challenges. If one person is more invested, it shows. If you're with the wrong person, it feels like too much work. But if you're unhappy more than you're happy, it's not the right relationship for you.

Maybe the package comes in a different shape than we originally thought it would.

I have to get my life back on track. Order as an antidote to chaos. Calm after the storm.

Now that I know where this life is going, it's time to decide how I'll get there.