I love astrology. If a so-called expert can tell me what days of the month are best for romance, money, or my career, I will buy a lotto ticket, ask for a raise, or drag myself across the bar of a nightclub to talk with a complete stranger. Okay, my reverence hasn’t paid off yet, but if Jupiter is making its way into my chart, who am I to tempt the stars? The planets always seem to offer one more reason to hope. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I like having something to look forward to.

I pour over my favorite websites, getting my daily horoscope fix. July 3rd is a lucky day for romance? I am hopeful. I go out with my girlfriends, ready to meet my soul mate. But while my friends are enjoying themselves and chatting it up with cute guys, I am left with the shy, awkward computer programmer who keeps picking at a stray pimple on his chin. Is this the planets’ idea of a practical joke? Maybe the stars have a strange sense of humor.

Don’t they know what my type is by now? I decide the timing is not right for Mars and Venus and call it a night. But the planets continue to fool me. One day during my morning run, and while Mercury was in retrograde, I met a handsome guy walking his dog. After a few days of shy nods, I finally got up the courage to approach him and strike up a conversation. The timing seemed completely wrong, which made the meeting even stranger.

He asked me out, and I felt reservedly smitten. After all, Mercury in retrograde means that cars and marriages and business deals break down. It’s not a good place to be. But for some inexplicable reason, and despite the stars and planets, I felt lucky. Maybe Mercury was in fact, on my side. Sometimes the universe gives you a surprise when you are not expecting one. And maybe the best romantic timing cannot be found in a horoscope. Perhaps the planets are not making decisions for us after all.