Gosh, I don't even know where to start. I always took romance and relationships so seriously. Where I'm from, every single guy my (20F) age in my teenage years was so immature and the last thing I'd ever describe as dating material.

Either I was expecting too much of teenage boys (I probably was), or I was very mature for my age and my standards were really high. I dated one guy when I was 16 for about 2 months, but realized I never liked him for him. So my love life remained pretty chapterless. I focused on myself and didn't know if anyone here would ever catch my interest enough. Until a couple months ago, I met... him.

For someone just a year younger, he's so very wise and loving and considerate when it comes to relationships... I was surprised to find this much maturity in him. He's so much like me, yet different enough that I learn something new every time we talk. We had different beliefs regarding certain things even. Which most people would consider a deal breaker right then and there... but he is so respectful of me. He loves me. Genuinely. And that makes me love him back even more, to the point that I think we can make it work if we respect each other so much.

I've never felt for anyone else what I feel for him. It's brought out multiple softer sides of me that I didn't know I had. I've always been so confident, had nerves of steel. But here I am giggling like an idiot whenever he compliments me lol. Same for him, who's always been so soft, emotional and passive, suddenly finds himself being more confident assertive and learning to say no. I'm proud of him for it.

The distance is always a challenge, and covid made that challenge so much bigger now. But I've always been a traveler. I want to see him. So badly. I've met his family even through video calls. This online thing gets a lot of stigmas put onto it... but I'm hoping they will go away once we meet face to face. He's a hugger which is convenient for me, because if I have him in my arms, I ain't letting go lol.

I feel so connected to him in a way I never have before. And that's even putting all the logical and pragmatical and "don't get your hopes up" stuff aside... I just, I just love him. So much. Exactly as he is. He's funny, and charming, not to mention adorably handsome, because he's unapologetically himself. We've only been officially dating for about 2 months (known each other since late January), it might still be a honeymoon phase... but our maturity in our own relationship is real. I feel so happy when I'm with him. And though it's way too soon to say whether he's "the one" or anything like that... All I know is that I feel such fondness for him in my heart, that the only way I can describe it is when I tell him I love him.