The last thing that I feel is important to address is being with someone that you feel aligned with. This can mean anything from morals and religion all the way to politics. In the current political atmosphere, the conversation surrounding your political views is a tough one to avoid and honestly I don’t think it’s one that should be avoided at all. With the state of politics over the past few years, differing political views often mean drastic differences in moral standpoints. With that being said, it’s important to have those difficult conversations. No one likes to talk politics, especially when it’s with a new potential partner that you’re excited about. I know that when my partner and I first started talking, I was really nervous to feel out what his political views were. This was all happening right around the election in November so the anxieties were especially high. I knew that I couldn’t think about starting a long term partnership with someone who had drastically different opinions than me when it came to things such as women's rights, abortion, etc. I ended up extremely fortunate to find the person that I did, especially living in a deep red state, that agreed with and supported the opinions and views that I feel so strongly about. So have the conversation ya’ll. Stand true to yourself and don’t let the lure of a romantic relationship have you falter in your beliefs. Be with someone who supports you and fundamentally agrees with your core beliefs. I promise they’re out there. <3