Ever since I was little, I’ve been the type of girl who can handle everything on her own. The type who doesn’t tie herself down to anything, and certainly not to anyone. With my phone always on Do Not Disturb and 99+ unread messages, I’d take pride in living in the moment. When I pictured my future self, all I could think about was living among clouds and airplanes, traveling from one corner of the world to the other. Without looking back and without fear–until something changed.
One day the sun came up and I knew that my life would never be the same again: that I would never be the same again. A new and magical sensation swept through my body. It was a tingling that made my skin prickle and filled my eyes with tears. Rather than sadness or sorrow, the emotion that washed over me was so vast and beautiful that it couldn’t be contained within my chest. I later discovered that it was love.
It was the most ordinary, mundane day you could possibly imagine. The realization that you love someone happens just like that, out of the blue: while you’re putting on the socks they gave you, while you’re brushing your teeth after breakfast, while you're listening to a song on the train.
When the first ray of sunlight brushed against her skin as she slept, the world opened up beneath my feet. At first, I didn’t quite understand what was going on with me, but there was no room in my mind for doubts or questions; I just felt an irrepressible desire to capture and treasure that moment forever.
From that day on, I knew I would never be able to run away without looking back, because there will always be something—or someone—that makes me turn around. Love is a supernatural force that turns everything you once took for granted completely upside down. It shakes your whole life up leaving you dazed, like an unstoppable tornado sweeping through everything in its path. Yet, it is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me.
I used to absolutely hate it when my friends said that “love comes along when you least expect it”. However, I have no other choice but to admit that they’re right. Love entered my life in a way I never could have imagined, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Nowadays, love is an inherent part of me. Every single day, wherever I go, I eat, sleep, and breathe love. The most beautiful thing about it is that I know, with absolute certainty, that it will never leave me. Love changes, that’s inevitable: but it never disappears.
I must confess that not even love is as perfect as it might seem. There is a B-side somewhat darker than I would like to admit. Love is so precious, intimate, and unique that it inevitably brings with it a terrible, paralyzing fear: the fear of losing it, the fear of allowing it to slip through your fingers, and the fear of neglecting it so much that one day, it withers and turns into something rotten.
However, fear is not inherently bad. At the right time, fear can help to appreciate the value of love. That said, it should never prevent one from allowing themselves to experience the beauty of the feeling. It must never outweigh trust, the chemistry, or the connection sparked by a simple touch.
The most beautiful thing about loving somebody is being able to live independently, yet wanting them to be a part of your life: wanting them to be there. Loving them so much that hours spent by their side feels like minutes. Loving them so much that you finally find a piece of yourself that was missing. Loving them so much that because of them, you finally know who you are.
All photos sourced from Andrea’s camera roll