What Does it Feel Like to be in Love?

I posed this very question out to a small group of friends on Snapchat. The question was tugging at me after spending the night watching sappy romance on shows like Grey’s Anatomy and New Girl. The responses were pretty interesting to read, so I thought I would rewrite them here. I spent my night rewriting answers (the “I’ve never been in love/I don’t know” answer became a tally), and analyzing how different everyone’s answers were.

 

“What Does Love Feel Like?”

1.) I don’t know/I’ve never been in love (Tally at 23 individuals)

2.) Saying “I love you” is saying that I love your past, your present and your future… on your bad days and your good days… through the fights and the hard times. The person you love isn’t going to come into your life peacefully, they come in and make you question things; [it] changes your reality; they bring a before and an after to your life – an ordinary person who gives you an extraordinary reason to live and grow, someone who revolutionizes your world. Being in love is like being touched on every level: your mind, your body, your lungs, and your heart; and it’s a risk but it’s a risk worth taking.

3.) When she makes me feel like I do when I drink good rum.

4.) Love is being willing to go out of your way for someone just because you feel like it. Love is knowing everything you could have ever wanted is right there with you whenever you need it most.

5.) It’s like giving someone a gun to your heart and trusting they won’t pull the trigger.

6.) It’s really hard to describe in words… It kinda feels like you’re floating on clouds whenever you’re with your person… Your stomach always has butterflies when you see them or they look at you. When I’m with [her] I feel as though we can take on the world together and the world doesn’t stand a chance. You feel super comfortable with them but also on edge; it’s a really weird combination, I don’t even know.

7.) Being in love is a feeling where you know that no matter what, there’s always that one person you can come home to, no matter how bad you [messed] up or how [crappy] things are – it’s a constant fact that there is another human being who loves you.

8.) Man, it’s almost indescribable. An overwhelming feeling of belonging and warmth I’d say is the best way to describe it. It’s the soreness of you’re cheeks because you smile like an idiot for too long just looking at the person. It’s this rush of emotions every time you say hello and goodbye, when you hug or kiss them for the first time in what feels like forever. Dude, I don’t know, it’s the best feeling in the world – that’s just it.

9.) I’ve never been in love, but this question got me thinking a lot. Do you think there are different kinds of love? I think the word “love” is being used too loosely, so it starts to lose its meaning. Is love a generalized thing or is it a feeling specific to a single person? I have no idea… I think you have to experience it to know it. (Paraphrased answer)

10.) It feels out of control – wonderful but possibly one of the most emotionally painful things. Bottom line: it’s either the greatest feeling or the absolute worst.