All those things you do in the beginning of a relationship (because you can’t help it)

Love is pretty rad in general. When you have a partner you feel comfortable with and love with all your heart, there are few things that feel more special. But let’s be real: The very beginning of a relationship is the most exciting, right? Your heart feels like it’s beating faster, there are butterflies in your stomach when you even see your love, and you have that dreamy look in your eyes all the time.

Though every stage of a relationship is great in its own way, there’s nothing quite like the high of a brand new relationship, and we end up doing a lot of things — some of them kinda weird, TBH — when we first start dating a new flame. Here are all the things we all do when a new relationship begins.

You make out. Like, constantly.

You can’t get enough! All you want to do is kiss them forever, and there’s nothing that feels better, and wow their mouth is SO CUTE it’s probably time to kiss them again. Who cares what you used to think about PDA, because this is new love and defies all rules.

And when they’re not around, check your phone 24/7.

You guys are probably texting a crazy amount already, but you still can’t help but check just to make sure you didn’t miss a text from your new boo. (You’re probably still in that phase where you’re trying really hard to send texts that are equal parts clever, cutesy, and sexy. Oh, and with the right amount of time in-inbetween. The perfect texting cocktail.)

But you totally overthink their texts.

They texted you “Been thinking about you today.” What does this meeeeean.

When you’re on the phone, you do that cheesy “No, you hang up!” tango.

While thinking, I know I said I’d never do this, but it just feels so good!

You gush about your new partner to your friends.

It’s pretty much friend code: When someone gets a new partner, they’re allowed to talk about that person extra for the first several weeks. We all know that feeling of “OMG I NEED TO TELL SOMEONE HOW CUTE HER SMILE IS,” and your friends are ready to sit back and let you blurt it all out while they smile knowingly.

You kinda sorta pretend to share their interests.

Sure, there are some interests you guys totally share! But they might be extra into Lord of the Rings, and you’re more of a Harry Potter fan, but you try extra hard to make LotR references around them even though you’re not 100% sure what you’re talking about. (Wait, is it Saruman or Sauron? Why would anyone give two relatively important characters PRACTICALLY THE SAME NAME.)

You pretty much pretend bodily functions don’t exist.

The thought of farting in front of your partner gives you a bit of a cold sweat, TBH. And pooping in their bathroom? OH MY GOD.

And you only half-sleep during the first several sleepovers because what if you do something embarrassing?

Like snore. Or drool. Or talk in your sleep. Or, God forbid, fart. Again, bodily functions do not exist anymore.

You brush your teeth like five times more often, because you want to make sure your breath is minty fresh.

And you take extra long showers to make sure you smell *fabulous.*

You try reeeeeally hard to get their friends to like you.

Meeting their friends for the first time feels like major pressure. These people are some of the closest people in your new boo’s life; what if they don’t like you?! In the shower before you’re set to meet them, you start thinking up funny jokes to tell them. But then you think, Wait, who even tells jokes anymore. I need to be casually cool. And then you spend a lot of time overthinking how one manages to be “casually cool.”

And you also get really paranoid about your friends not liking your partner.

After the very first time everyone meets, when your partner is out of earshot, you immediately turn to your friends like, “Isn’t he great? Isn’t. He. Great. ISN’T HE GREAT. RIGHT? YEAH, HE’S GREAT, I KNOW.”

You worry about how to have the “official” talk. 

Like, yeah, you guys are official IRL, but online is a whole different story. Do you make it official on Facebook? How do you even bring that topic up? (And then you realize your partner is worried about the exact same thing, and you both breathe a HUGE sigh of relief and talk about it together.)

Then you stop for a second and daydream about the fact that your new partner is probably worrying about all this, too.

Because let’s be real: Even though some of this is super weird, it’s also super cute. And the thought of being together to watch all this unfold? You get that stupid grin on your face again just thinking about it.

Happy days, lovebirds. <3

Related:

All the signs you’re in a solid romantic relationship

The scientific formula for falling in love

(Image via Pierrot le Fou/ Janus Films)