You're Beautiful

February is full of fun holidays--Groundhog Day, Super Bowl Sunday, Chinese New Year, and President's Day. Oh yeah, and there's that awkward mid-month holiday that makes everyone go a little crazy.

Once January flees, our internal clocks begin shouting, "You're going to be alone!" Everyone starts weighing their options, hoping they can find "the one" in time for the most romantic day of the year. We run around hoping to run into a stranger on the street, and create a "fate-ish" movie-like experience.

My freshman year, I met a guy on an elevator that I was naturally drawn to. (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he was wearing Cubs paraphernalia.) We talked for a few minutes, and I remember thinking, I want to see this guy again. I never did though.

I coined the phrase "James Blunt Experience" after James Blunt's song "You're Beautiful." The song describes a situation when you meet someone and you're instantly drawn to them, you might not even talk, but they catch your eye. The chemistry is insane, and you don't know why.

On New Year's Eve, a good friend of mine got engaged. A few weeks later when she showed me the ring, she said, "it all started with a JBE."

Call me silly, but I'm a big believer in destiny. I think God, or the universe, or whatever you want to believe is constantly leading us to where we need to be. I think every person we meet was put there for a reason and I believe there's no such thing as a coincidence.

So maybe as we're all looking for our soul mate this time of year, we can be a little more perceptive. We can take more chances, talk to more strangers, and flirt with that cute guy across the room. We can give a chance to that person who's just a little weird.

I am by no means qualified to give advice that pertains to romance in any sort of way, but I've grown to find that when you push yourself outside your comfort zone, amazing things will happen. You could meet the love of your life in the on-campus library, like my friend did.

Henry Ford once said, "If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you always got."

And if you're single this Valentine's Day, it's okay. (Fun fact: I've never had a Valentine.) Grab a friend and get dinner at your favorite restaurant, or stay in and bake heart shaped cookies. Don't let it be something that depresses you, but inspires you. Let it be about showing your appreciation to everyone you love, not just your significant other.