I hate tech in cars. With a passion. I want a hand break. I want levers and dials and buttons with physical feedback.

When my boyfriend (now husband) started dating, and things turned physical, he stopped how things were progressing and told me, "This goes however far you want it to. You say stop, we stop. You say slow down, everything slows. This is about you, I'll be happy with whatever you choose." At the time, he had no idea my only other experience had been through sexual as**ult. Hearing this, and what's more experiencing his sincerity and how he was willing to do exactly as he said and let me set the pace of our relationship, helped start us out in a place of trust. We've been married for 10 years now and I've never been better cared for than I am by him.

This seems small but I dated so many guys who would bring up their exes, blaming them for everything, calling them crazy, calling them names. When talking about past relationships, my boyfriend only spoke about how grateful he was to have experienced love and for the time he did spend with his exes. He spoke with respect about the women before me. I still remember that over a decade later. And it did foreshadow how life would be with him. He's been the most kind, understanding, and patient man to have ever been in my life.