As I sit and watch this couple, I can't help but feel a twinge of envy. They laugh and joke with each other, completely at ease in each other's presence. They've been together for almost 34 months, and while they're not officially engaged, she wears a ring on her finger. They met in a class on metaphysical, and he tells his friends that he's drawn to her because she's so much smarter than him.

They spend hours talking about their future plans, until the early hours of the morning. And while I'm happy for them, I can't help but yearn for that same kind of connection. I want to feel all that love and emotion, to be so deeply attached to the person I'm with.

But I still keep hoping. I have a dream of finding someone, building a life together in a house with a picket fence. And when I do find that special someone, I hope to use some common sense and not repeat the same mistakes of the past.

Until then, I'll keep watching and longing for that kind of love and connection. Life can feel monotone at times, but I won't give up hope. Someday, I'll be falling without caution, completely in love and not afraid to let someone really know me.