11 Things You Need to Know Before Dating an Independent Girl

1. We need alone time.
   A little each day. And more than a little on other days. It doesn’t mean we’ve lost interest in you. It just means that I enjoy my time to myself.

   2. We don’t mind if you don’t call or text us every second.
   We like it. But we won’t be constantly contacting you either. That said, if you’re late or like to keep me guessing, I’ll make other plans.

   3. We can clean up our own messes.
   We’re not waiting for you to fix all of our problems. In fact, I wouldn’t even want you to.

   4. If we go to a party where it’s mostly your friends, I don’t need you hovering.
   I’m perfectly capable of chatting it up with endless amounts of strangers. I’ll even enjoy it. But don’t completely forget about me either, as you’re probably my favorite person in the room.

   5. We are comfortable paying our own way.
   We don’t mind splitting restaurant bills. We don’t mind covering the cost of the movie tickets. In fact, it makes us feel like we don’t owe you anything. We never expect you to pay for us or buy us gifts. If it’s not my birthday, you’re good.

   6. If you want to go watch football or go to happy hour with your friends, we’re cool with that.
   Actually, we prefer it. It gives us a chance to catch up with our own friends or spend the night catching up on our independent interests. Then the next time we see each other, we’ll have stories to tell.

   7. The idea of getting married sounds great with the right person.
   But we’re perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. We’re perfectly fine with the idea of going through life without a partner. We choose to be in a relationship with you because we like you, not because we can’t live without you.

   8. We like to fix things ourselves. We like to change our own lightbulbs, open our own jars, and get things off of high shelves.
   Even if you’re way stronger and taller and could do it in half the time with half the effort.

   9. We can be stubborn and hard-headed about handling things a certain way, even if you’ve been there before and are simply offering advice.
   Forgive us. Let us try it out way first, even if your intentions are good.

   10. At times, we may seem so self-reliant, content, and in control of our lives that you may wonder whether you’re needed.
   You are. We’re confident and directed, but we cherish someone who appreciates, rather than fears, these qualities.

   11. We still love a big hug, affection, and to be told how cute we are.
   Tell us we look pretty in our new dress every now and then. And don’t let us shrug it off, because we will try to. Independence will never trump the desire to feel adored.