I genuinely appreciate a man who can take initiative. As an extroverted young woman who makes decisions for myself and others multiple times a day, it is so refreshing for a man to say, “This is what we’re doing. I’ll pick you up at eight, dress appropriately.” Make a legitimate plan. Follow through.

I love a guy who can throw on a pair of boat shoes and grill a steak on a Sunday and then look as sharp as a GQ model in a shirt and tie Monday morning.

Seeing a guy interact with children and genuinely enjoy doing so gets me every time. I’m in absolutely no rush to have children. There’s so much I want to do before that. But I do want a family down the road. And I won’t settle for anything less than a fun-loving, energetic, goofy yet stern man to help me raise our kids.

Someone who will hold the door and remember the little details that mean the most.

I have a pet-peeve about snoring, although I tend to talk in my sleep so I’m not much better.

I love a guy who can play dumb games like ‘would you rather…’ and ‘would you still be my friend if…’ with me. If you don’t know how to play these I’d be more than happy to explain. I’m serious.

Anyone who has excessive road rage all of the time gives me anxiety. We’ve all been jerks when driving before. Be nice to people: on the road, in restaurants, at the grocery store. Just treat people with kindness.

I frequently fall in love with the simplicity of a kind heart.

I won’t ever date a doormat of a guy. Have an opinion that you believe in.

Dance around in the kitchen while making dinner, or serving it out of a pizza box. Life gets busy sometimes.

Someone who will say “yes” to a random adventure at 3 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon.

Knowledge is power in every aspect of life and I love a man who is educated. I don’t mean book smart, although I don’t see anything wrong with that. I mean educated in the sense that he knows what he’s passionate about and he lives and breathes that interest of heart. He reads about it, studies it, shares it with others. I love to see someone’s passion set fire to everything else they do.

I fall in love with people who call me out when I’m wrong and push me to my limits. I love a guy who makes me a better person.

I doubt I’d ever date a smoker. Personal preference.

Treat your mother like a saint, your father like your biggest idol and rough-house with your siblings and cousins like your life depends on it (and sometimes it does if your family is nuts like mine.)

I could go on and on. Those are some of the reasons I choose to place a large emphasis on love in my life. I want to surround myself with individuals that possess such beautiful qualities as those mentioned above.

Shout out to the one man who has never let me down, my dad. He shows me every single day that I can get everything and anything I want out of life if I’m willing to work hard enough for it. He set the bar pretty high for me to find someone who can meet his qualifications. Challenge accepted.