Sleepless in Florida (Not Seattle)

What is a Rom-Com anyway? It’s short for romantic comedy—a blend of humor, awkwardness, and tender moments that circle around love. The formula is familiar: two people meet, obstacles or misunderstandings get in their way, hijinks unfold, and—more often than not—they end up together by the final scene.

But does that ever really happen in real life? Especially now, when love is filtered through apps like Tinder, Hinge, eHarmony, and Bumble. With a swipe left or right, you might stumble into your soulmate—or straight into disaster.

The last time I saw something that felt close to real was Nobody Wants This, about an agnostic sex podcaster and a newly single rabbi trying to figure out if love can survive their different worlds and meddling families. Kristen Bell made it raw, awkward, funny, and true—more like real life than the glossy magic of the big screen.

And yet, the classics linger: Sleepless in Seattle, 27 Dresses, 10 Things I Hate About You, When Harry Met Sally, 50 First Dates, Notting Hill, Set It Up, The Proposal, You’ve Got Mail. Are these timeless because they reflect something real—or because they tell the story we secretly wish could be ours?

When I was younger, I adored Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Never Been Kissed, Big, and Ghost. I could quote Pretty Woman nearly line for line and sing along to every track. Back then, I believed love was meant to be sweeping, dramatic, unforgettable. But now I find myself lying awake, wondering if those kinds of stories really happen—or if they were just the dreams we were sold.

Because sometimes, life does feel like a Rom-Com. You meet someone unexpectedly. There’s a spark. You wonder if it’s fate. Other times, love feels like an itch you ignore—or a thought that scratches at you in the middle of the night, daring you to listen. Those moments can make you laugh, cry, do something reckless—or pass quietly if you choose to roll over and close your eyes.

So maybe the question isn’t whether real life looks like a Rom-Com. Maybe the question is simpler: do we write our own stories, or do we wait for the Rom-Com moment to find us? And if it finally comes—softly, insistently, in the middle of the night—do you open the door?