Recently, two major events have shaped my life: I'm now a junior in high school, and my family is in the process of moving. As many know, junior year is one of the most demanding years academically, and I often find myself studying for hours on end. On top of that, my parents have scheduled open houses every Sunday, making it hard to find peace at home. Because of this, I’ve developed a routine of going to the same study café every Sunday for two to four hours to focus.

This particular Sunday, after working for what felt like forever, I finally lifted my head above my computer screen—and saw a couple sitting in front of me, their backs turned, yet radiating comfort and connection.

In that moment, a wave of longing hit me. Why can’t I have that kind of love, that kind of life? Lately, my days have started to feel like a loop—wake up, work, eat, sleep, repeat. I want to feel something more than just routine. I want emotional connection. I want someone to lean on.

But then the truth settled in—right now, I don’t have that person. What I do have is the chance to work toward something better for myself. So I took a breath, turned my eyes back to the screen, and kept going.