My Five Favorite Thought Catalog Articles Written In 2016

While there may have been a bit of a hiatus during the late-summer and fall months, there were still plenty of articles written this year that I could be proud of. With the year winding down, here are my five personal favorites, and why:

5. A Letter To My Future Wife, Part II: Where The Hell Are You?

I’ve always been a Michael Bublé fan, and something about the song, “Just Haven’t Met You Yet,” always spoke to me. While overcome by the feels from the song one day, I wrote a letter to my future wife two years ago. When Timehop recently reminded me of the letter, I thought it would be fun to write another, especially since now I’m not the same man as two years ago.

The new plan is to write a new one however often they come to me. Some will be filed to Thought Catalog, some will not. If and when my wedding day ever comes, I’m going to leave all of them for my fiancé to find, along with one final letter for her. It’s not the most well-thought-out plan, but it’s a start.

4. I May Fall Easily, But That Doesn’t Mean I Fall Often

I was tired of people thinking that just because I’m liable to fall for someone very quickly (and because it has happened multiple times), that I fall for every girl I see. I was tired of this notion that I’m parading around with a ring in hand begging any girl who will have me to marry me.

This article breaks down the difference, which I’m sure is something that plagues many of my fellow hopeless romantics out there.

3. It’s Time You Started Letting People Fall In Love With The Real You

It’s difficult to be a sappy, hopeless romantic during a time when many women simply do not appreciate that type of behavior. It scares them. It’s “too much” for them. I’m constantly telling myself that I should be that guy who pretends not to care, but it’s just not who I am.

I believe that everyone should be themselves unapologetically, because they will ultimately attract the person who truly loves them as they are. Pretending to be something else is an act you’ll only be able to keep up for so long.

2. This Is What It’s Like To Date A Man, Not A Boy

This one might have been a record for fastest articles written. Once words started hitting the screen, everything came flowing out. When that happens, it tends to produce your most honest and raw work because you’re not thinking about what you’re writing, per se.

In the moment, you’re writing what you feel. Obviously (or at least hopefully) you’ll go back and edit it when all is said and done, but while everything is fresh, get it on the page. This article was basically a follow-up piece to the previous one mentioned, as they were filed one day apart from each other.

1. We Don’t Want Consistency In Dating Anymore, And It’s Ruining Everything

Although this one was not written as quickly as the previous piece mentioned, it was another example of when everything is just coming to you at once.

It’s one of my favorite pieces ever written because it calls out all of the bullshit excuses most of us millennials make in the dating world. I’m far from the millennial-bashing parent you see ranting on Facebook, but some of us needed a kick in the ass.