Every relationship I’ve been in has taught me a lot about myself.
I’ve learned a lot about what my personal boundaries are and what I need/want in a partner to feel loved, respected, and cared for. I’ve also learned a lot about communication in general, specifically that people aren’t mind readers, and that I get 100% of what I don’t ask for.
I'm not even "officially" a couple with the man I'm dating right now, but we have been friends for years, and even in the short time we've decided to give it ago, he has stretched me in more ways than any other partner has.
I chalk this up to a number of factors like my previous relationship experience, my understanding of what I actually want in a partner or from a relationship, my personal level of growth and maturity as an adult and where I’m at in life at this point in my life, but also, my partner himself.
He grounds me in a way I didn't think I could be grounded. I've always considered myself a mostly well rounded, practical, and down to earth individual, but he shattered that image and taught me a whole new meaning to living in the present, taking things as they come, and what it means to be a straightforward, honest, direct, dedicated, hardworking, and respectful individual.