Step 1: Look Stupid.
If you want to fall in love, you must dive right in. Smile a lot, because everything is so incredible and beautiful and new. You are going to look silly, because that is what pure joy and unadulterated enthusiasm looks like.
Step 2: Forget All Past Lovers
It is of utmost importance that you pretend you are falling in love for the first time, because baggage is a waste of effort. And being present is the surest way to absorb all of the things you will find as you tumble down the rabbit hole.
Step 3: Eat.
Food is the way to every heart. Even if, God forbid, you grow love handles, continue eating the food placed in front of you. First of all, you never know what your next adventure might be, but also eating someone’s food is like imbibing their soul, you are taking in a little bit of their energy as you chew and swallow.
Step 4: Don’t Think About the Future
Today is a gift, as they say, and why worry about next month or even tomorrow if you are picking blackberries and chatting about the neighbor whose chickens sleep in a tree? Even more important than planning the next step of your relationship is to participate in the interaction taking place. Tomorrow will come. Next year will come. But today will never come again.
Step 5: Get Your Heart Broken
Finally, be completely and utterly disappointed. That cold, crampy feeling that seizes your chest is as important as the melty chocolate feeling. Embrace it! Lay on your bed and cry, vent to your best friend, eat chocolate ice cream, and lay awake at night wondering what the heck you are doing. But, if you have reached this step, the fall is inevitable, unavoidable, in fact, you are probably tumbling fast already. So take some deep breaths, listen to some James Taylor, and remember why you are so infatuated, remember why you wanted to fall in love in the first place. You can always find a panaderia to ease the pain. Or walk through a market and feel the hum of people, smell the rotting fruit, and watch the venders expertly handling their produce.
