The Many Faces of Love at First Sight
Love at first sight isn’t always romantic. Sometimes it’s a puppy, a book cover, or a magical place that feels like home. This is a story about unexpected sparks, soul recognition, and staying open to love in all its forms.
I’ve always believed in love at first sight. And yes, I’ve experienced it—just not in the way you might expect.
I can count the times it’s happened to me on one hand. The first was when I met my dachshund, Weasley. Grumpy and beautiful, she instantly stole my heart. Then came the moment I saw the cover of what would become my favorite book: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I hadn’t read a word, but the cover alone pulled me in—it whispered to me from the “not yet read” pile until I finally gave in. That book’s presence had a magnetism I’ve never felt from any of the 300+ titles in my personal library.
I felt it again the moment I stood before Hogwarts Castle and wandered through Diagon Alley at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Pure magic. And finally, when I met Fred and George—my two guinea pigs and the last little pieces of my heart.
Like I said, I have felt love at first sight. It just hasn’t been with people.
I think love at first sight is just your soul recognizing something familiar. A glimpse of something that feels like it belongs to you, or maybe that you belong to it. It’s fast, irrational, and usually unexplainable—and that’s the beauty of it.
Now, I’m happily married to my best friend and the love of my life. I’m no longer searching for love, because I found the real thing—and it didn’t arrive all at once. It came slowly, deeply, over time. Still, I believe in that instant spark. I just happened to find love in more unexpected places.
Watching Nadiya and Anthony’s {THE AND} conversation made this feeling even clearer. Anthony says something beautiful—that “home is where love is.” And when I think about it, that’s exactly how I feel around my own love-at-first-sight moments: Weasley. Fred and George. A Little Life. The Wizarding World. All of them feel like home: warm, fuzzy and safe.
Nadiya and Anthony were lucky—they found each other and felt that instant connection. Their love is tender and visible, even through a screen. And though my version of love at first sight looks different, the feelings—home, warmth, safety—are exactly the same.
Maybe love at first sight isn’t just about romance. Maybe it’s about recognizing the things that light us up, that stop time for a second, that feel like home in a world that moves too fast. So don’t overthink it. Let the magic in. Whether it’s a person, a puppy, a book, or a feeling—let it sweep you off your feet.
Let’s stay open. Let’s believe in love, in all its forms—whether it arrives in a flash or unfolds over time. Let’s make space for it. Let it in fully. Because love, in any form, deserves our open hearts.
With love,
Regina Zuniga
The Skin Deep Digital Content Specialist
