I can’t speak to God’s plan, but I can tell you there is no “regular high school love.”

There is no one way to have a first kiss or first date. Everybody’s just fumbling through it in their own way, and in their own time.

If you’re interested in company, you could get on an app and tell people you like a picnic. Find out who thinks that’s a sweet idea.

But if this is more about benchmarks, goalposts, and life events you assume should happen by a certain age, let go. No one’s on a schedule right now. Some people have lots of experience, but they wish they knew more about what it’s like to be single.

Either way, focus on growing your circle of friends. Find people who admit when they’re embarrassed, scared, or in need of support. If you have a bunch of friends who seem confident about their first kisses, well … good for them. But it’s nice to have a few peers who understand (and can be funny about) what it’s like to feel a little different.

All of this might be easier if you put your phone down for at least some of the day. I know I’m being “old man yells at cloud” about this, but social media can be weird. If the only people you see are your inner circle and TikTok strangers, there needs to be more. If your basis of comparison for what should happen by your mid/late 20s is Kylie Jenner or Sabrina Carpenter – or other stars who’ve had big relationships – you’re missing the zillions of 26-year-olds IRL who are figuring out how to get to Step 1.

Meet people. Take your time. Have fun.

– Meredith