Some girls grow up dreaming about meeting the prince on the white horse, who rides in to fix everything and rescue them from all evil. I’ll admit, I watched one too many Disney princesses and had those views myself for a while. But the older I get, the more I realize, I’m not looking for a man on a white horse.
I’m looking for a man I could live in a van with.
Sounds crazy I know, but I have my reasons. You see, I love being single and I love myself. I have seen a lot of marriages through the years. Some I love to learn from. Others, don’t seem to like each other much.
But I think a man in a van can meet a lot of the factors it takes for a loving and lasting relationship. Here are my top 5 reasons why I prefer a man with a van.
1. If I am going to spend that amount of time in close corridors with someone, it means I really really like them. As in “best friend” kind of like. As in Pam and Jim on “The Office” kind of like. Or in other words, “I love you, AND I like you.” On the wrong date, one drink seems to stretch on for eternity. I want a man where it’s the road that seems to stretch out forever, not our conversation.
2. A man in a van has a sense of adventure. He is not afraid of life and we can face new challenges with that sense of confidence to conquer, not to fear. Relationships can get in ruts, but that’s why it is important to find the adventure, even in the mundane of life.
3. If you live in a van, you have a sense of what is really important in life. Stuff does not equal happiness. In fact, if you are in the process of seeing if you can acquire more stuff, it is important to evaluate why. What is really missing? Are you bored? I want to have relationship with someone that is alive even when there is no stuff to block the view.
4. I don’t need a hero. I need a teammate. And the best thing a person can bring to my life is a positive outlook. I want to build up the person I am with, with a view of life that sees a cup half full even when I know some might be missing. Give me a man that can laugh when we get lost and find the rainbow in the rainstorm, and you found me a teammate.
5. If you can travel around in tight spaces then you are probably flexible. I want to be a couple that rolls with the punches. Life will bring them, and relationships are not always easy, but if you can bend with it then it is much easier not to break. Find a guy that is patient through traffic and flat tires, and you found a good one.
Next time I go on a date, and a man asks me what I am looking for, I will simply state, “A man that could live in a van.” That should make for interesting conversation.
