I like the version of me that shows up when I’m relaxed
I know I’m starting to like someone when I stop trying so hard to be the best possible version of myself.
Early dating can make me strangely aware of everything I do. How much am I talking? Was that joke too weird? Did I text back too fast? It is almost like there is a tiny editor sitting in my head.
The connections I enjoy most are the ones where that editor slowly gets quieter. I can laugh badly, admit when I do not know something, or spend a whole evening looking completely unglamorous without feeling self-conscious.
Comfort does not mean losing the romantic part. For me, it means the romantic part has somewhere real to land.
If I feel more like myself around someone instead of less, I pay attention to that now.
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