I have been dating since I was 21 and it has taught me a lot about friendship, hope, heartache and myself. Here are the greatest lessons (and joys) of solitude

‘Why are you still single?” Over the past 15 years, I’ve fielded many variations of this question. I’m in my mid-30s and I haven’t had a boyfriend since I was 21. Even after a decade and a half, this question feels as if I’m being asked: “What’s wrong with you? Are you sure you’re trying hard enough?”

But being “single” isn’t quite the full story: I’ve been going on dates the entire time, observing the many seismic shifts in dating culture. Here are 15 things I’ve learned from 15 years of singlehood.