Not everyone is meant to take the traditional path to bliss. There are some of us who get up and off the road quite a bit, meandering to explore what life has to offer in the interesting pockets of the world that rise up to greet us.

Although there has never been a pressure or set intention upon me to couple up and get married, I have spent the last few decades testing the waters of relationships, trying the idea on and at points agreeing that, yes, I think, I want to enter into that sacred union because I thought it's what was missing from my life.

But sometimes you find a connection to someone that's so intense, so real, so clear like a laserbeam to your soul, that you begin to wonder, is tradition all that there is, and if I could have more, what would I really ask for?

These days, what my soul really craves is trust, respect, commitment, loyalty. Basic pillars really but interestingly enough so hard to master in many relationships. I like my life independent from a partner. I like that I have my freedom to explore all the many facets of me and in a manner that's not rushed or ruled by the agenda of another person. It's true, when you couple up there will be compromise, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the core identities of the two parties involved.

So while most would say they are hopeless romantics, destined to pine after a lust and a love that will never possibly come to fruition. I declare that I am a hopeful romantic, destined to seek encounters that feed my soul and offer me a true connection on a deeper level regardless of the package it comes in.

Our lives can be cut short at any time, on any given day. If we run out of hope that love is just meant for those who are chosen to enter into the sanctity of marriage, then we may as well draw a line in the sand and call it a day. I want to exist in a world where a chance meeting could lead to a deeper connection with another soul who's light has beamed straight for mine.