Love Bites: More Than Casual

The intimacy and even ecstasy that comes from a crush feels so personal. Yet, I find it impossible to keep these feelings insular. All I want to do is talk to my close friends about how a person makes me feel. This is especially true when I feel connected to them beyond attractiveness and instead, it’s our conversations that pull me in. However, being on the receiving end of these conversations recently has been a mixed bag of emotions. Luckily, with some reflection, all those scattered pieces have fallen into place.

I moved back to my hometown two months ago for a remarkably short stint of one month before packing up two suitcases and moving back to so-called Australia. Being home, winding my way through the familiar streets of New York City, left me entranced by bittersweet emotions of nostalgia as I relived memories of attempting to learn how to be an adult in Brooklyn. The month was also full of catch-ups.

While meeting up with my close friend from university and walking to a noodle spot, she shared how happy it made her to be in a new relationship. I was delighted to hear that this new boy made her feel so loved. But, then, it began to scare me when that was the only thing we seemed to talk about. Dinner ended with a pit of dread in my stomach. This sensation soon dissipated when it dawned on me how universally important it is to discuss relationships, both romantic and platonic, with the people closest to us. Sitting back and realising that helped me recognise that these conversations are much more than a casual topic. In fact, avoiding these conversations would be unhealthy. If left to our own devices, I believed we’d never be able to sort out the madness of emotions created by intimacy that our brains conjure into thoughts. I, for one, am thankful for these not-so-casual conversations.