When You Meet the Love of Your Life at 18

At some point in your life, someone older and wiser will tell you that when it comes to love, timing is REALLY important. So what happens when you meet the love of your life at 18 with a whole world ahead of you, with many uncertainties and temptations to come your way? It’s not typically a good time to ‘settle down’. Do you hold off the commitment in fear that you’re ‘missing out’ on something better? Just a few thoughts.

On Dating Others

Iona: There will always be someone else, some kind of temptation to stray regardless of your age. It’s tempting to want dating ‘experience’ so you can see what else is out there but what you may be missing out on could be the love of your life. Many people spend years looking for a life partner, if you think you’ve found it at 18 on your first or second goal, you’ve hit the jackpot in love. 

Jamie: I met my first love at 16 and we dated till I was 20. He was amazingly thoughtful. I’m pretty sure we were soul mates. I can honestly say without a doubt that he was my best friend. We broke up because I had wandering eyes and wasn’t ready to settle down. I compared him to every guy I dated after regretting we ever broke up. Had I met him now, I’d marry him in a heartbeat. 

Nate: Males instinctually want to breed. The whole high school sweetheart thing is so rare because in order for it to work, two people really need to want it. 

There’s No Guarantee

Iona: It’s easy to get complacent in relationships, especially if you don’t have any other relationships to compare it to. I’ve seen friends hold onto their boyfriends for years so they can get married in their mid 20s. Most of them were single by their late 20s. 

Jamie: Relationships are especially fragile when you’re young. No one has a clue what they’re doing, what they want in life, where their next meal (poor poor uni students) will come from let alone what kind of life they want to share with someone else. You either grow together or grow a part but there’s no guarantee that you’ll stay with your first love…that’s why they call it your first – because there will probably be a second, third, fourth…etc.

Nate: There’s never a guarantee. That’s why you need to sort your own life out first. Someone once told me not to get married till you’re in your 30s. Because you don’t know who you are till then anyway. Imagine getting married in your mid 20s and then doing a complete 180 once you’ve ‘found yourself’.

When You Find Something Good, You Hold Onto It 

Iona: Don’t worry about what your relationship will be like in 5 years. All you have is the present so if you’ve found something great, go with it. Don’t hold back because every experience shapes your future. I look back in my relationships and appreciate everything that’s happened – good and bad. 

Jamie: 18 is young…really young but then again, so what if you find love at 18. Good on you. I hope it lasts and if it doesn’t, it’s okay too. 

Nate: But don’t rush into something like marriage. There’s plenty of time for that. 

Did you meet the love of your life at 18? How long have you been together for? Share with us!