I had plans, and then people broke my heart. Most shared my interests, but fell through because of the lies or the space between us grew apart and people will always feel like they are in the right and treat you like a villain if they cannot cope with that. But I enjoy it, just seeing them devolve into their true nature and slowly spit every single insult as if they actually cared for more than a single minute.
I've had too many chances to love, but the pain and hate in the grudges I hold will last because I have to be smarter than immediately giving them all my attention. People will hurt you emotionally no matter what, but you have to power through that. Wholesome or not, we are what we make ourselves. I choose not to be vulnerable and hurt yet again on that deep of a level. If that means I will be single for the rest of my life, then so be it. But I will survive without being stabbed in the back by the person I empty all my secrets and anxieties to.
Breaking free from those fears and having someone who loves you for who you are underneath all the baggage and the perks you come with is empowering. Love can make a interesting story, but it can ruin lives as well. It is a risk, a healer, and an abuser. It's not for everyone but enjoy it in the moment if you find yourself in such a powerful emotion. Such a feeling shouldn't be expected at all in life. Don't limit yourself on a timescale, it only makes you feel worse about yourself. From what I know confidence, compassion, communication, and self-control are key in order to make it bloom and not every single person has that in them by the time they are an adult. It's an opportunity, but there will be more.
TL;DR: Love heals, but it hurts as well. It makes us who we are, but it can tumble us back down to shambles. Be careful with it, because it's an experience people share and no two people experience the same thing the same way.