The first serious relationship I've had is actually just ending. The only thing I've realized through it all: rules exist because they're ALWAYS accurate.
I've grown up thinking "that's what happens to NORMAL people but I'll be smart enough to recognize situations x, y, z when they come along and not be effected by them". I was wrong.
You go into a relationship obviously because there is some mutual attraction and a sense of connection (interest, goals, etc.). Thus, I delved into a relationship with a person, whom I will refer to as Joanne. Joanne is a sweet, smart, and driven music student. She goes to GMU.
First things first- I have a lot of shit going on in my life. Not to say that a relationship isn't important to me- it is. But at the same time, there is a point in a relationship where your significant other goes from being a friend-ish person, to a family-esque person. That point came for Joanne far before it came for me.
The details are so fresh in my memory, the pain so real, that I don't really want to delve into what's caused a rift in my life and a crack in my heart. But after long, thoughtful reflection, I realized we broke up because we were both looking or something different than what the other actually IS.
Back to my original point, I thought all along "maybe we will get married! people say it's unlikely but not for ME!" or "it's ok, I can trust her because of this and this and it's different than every other situation you hear about". The hardest thing about this relationship has been realizing that I'm not a part of the exception. I'm a product of the rule. I have a friend who still hasn't had his first serious relationship. I keep telling him to be careful, think rationally, etc. But in reality EVERYONE has to go through this to realize that the world is a huge place, and that the first one you choose to love will not be your last.
The first serious relationship I've had is actually just ending. The only thing I've realized through it all: rules exist because they're ALWAYS accurate.
My best friend is a girl named Julia. She and I met under the conditions that have kept us connected to this very day- the spell that is Harry Potter. I remember the day I first met her, it was July 18, 2007 at the premier of the 7th Harry Potter book. My friends and I had camped out (and ok, fine, dressed up) to participate in the culmination of years of reading and movie watching. Julia and her friends were equally as fan-crazed about the phenomenon as we were. Our friendship started then. While we had a short romantic stint, we quickly realized that we have much more to offer each other as friends. Julia and I know exactly what each other thinks- since we over-react and over-think in the exact same manner- and we are a rock for one another when things go wrong or the sun isn't shining.
The artifact that I'm choosing is my Harry Potter 5 Book. It is my favorite of the series, and anyone who knows me knows that I am OBSESSED with harry potter. But reasoning isn't simple because I wish I was a wizard and am still, patiently, awaiting the arrival of my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, but rather, a deeper connection toward a book that was a rock for me when times were tough. 
