When I first entered college and welcomed my new age of 19, I found myself in search of companionship and…dare I say…romance.
Prior to college, I had never had a real romantic partner — emphasis on real. After fruitless situationships, meaningless crushes, and multiple failed talking stages, I was in need of something electric, a rush to excite me and reassure me that love still existed and was obtainable.
This is where I found Tinder. Now, I know the stigma around this app is chaotic, and people don’t know how they really feel about it. Is it a place to find a quick hookup? Maybe it’s a place to find new friends or “sesh buddies.” Is it a place to find your life partner? A cheap thrill, maybe? Or is it a place to seek validation and fill a void? I’ve found that Tinder is a place where you can look and seek some of your innermost desires, even if it’s just to find a new friend on campus.
I can say, without shame, that I was one of many people on Tinder. Don’t worry, if I saw your profile on it, I won’t tell anybody — our little secret! But as I used it, I found that I was more likely to find a new friend than a new romantic partner.
To the girl at Xavier who shared with me the steps and products in her makeup routine, I’ll never forget you! Up until November of 2022, I had managed to go on a few dates and dated someone for a few months, though nothing serious spurred from it. I was over the dating scene and unfortunately, I held no more room for gaining new friends. My time with Tinder was slowly, but surely, coming to a close. However, on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, I matched with a woman that I would soon fall in love with.
She had a black and white photo of herself smiling on her profile, looking absolutely beautiful. I was captured by her beauty, and I took my chances and swiped right. Oh! Luck must have been on my side because she swiped right on me! The Tinder match had been made and the true work begin thereafter. I wasted no time texting her first.
“hi pretty”
If someone would have told me that those two words would lead me to some of the happiest moments of my life, a love so grand and deep, I would’ve never believed them.
After weeks of texting each other, we agreed to have our first date during the winter break. The day of our date, I remember being so nervous, butterflies swarming in my stomach. When I was applying my makeup for the date, my hand had a slight tremor. I was a bundle of nerves, but I was also extremely excited to meet her. I was literally praying that our date would go okay. When she told me that she was outside my house, I gave myself a quick pep talk in the mirror and went out to meet her.
She greeted me with a hug.
An act so small, yet it comforted me so much. An act that told me that our date was about to be like no other.
Our date consisted of us going to the local park at our city’s reservoir and painting. We sat in front of the water, a beautiful sight when the sun is setting and reflects off the water. We painted and talked and then painted and talked some more. It was the easiest conversation I had ever had with someone, and it flowed endlessly. We never ran out of words to say and if we did, the silence wasn’t awkward, but comforting and warm. Our date lasted for several hours, and I remember wishing for it to never end. It was, by far, the best date I had ever been on.
We ended up meeting every day after that for two weeks straight. By the end of the winter break, I knew that I wanted her — needed her — in my life.
She was the most amazing person I had ever met. We were head over heels for each other, even going as far as buying a bear from Build-A-Bear to share between us two weeks after we met. I know the rumors about WLW, or women loving women, moving too fast are always circling, but I didn’t care then and I don’t care now. Everything with her feels so damn right! The following April, I asked her to be my girlfriend, and now, we are two months shy of being with each other for a full year.
The last year of my life has shown me so much love, and I owe a lot of it to my girlfriend.
She has taught me so much about love and life, and I cannot wait to learn more. She is the love of my life, and that is something I am absolutely sure of. Oftentimes, we joke about being in a Tinder commercial and telling the story of how we met on the app.
Until then, I hope this does it justice.
And to the Tinder employee who may see this, thank you dearly, for my life has forever changed for the better.
