I love love.

It’s something I am always chasing and yearning to create, feel, and share. Love is the most powerful force on the planet. It is a superpower to be able to give, receive, and be love.

The bounds of love are nonexistent. Love is so beyond the realms of our human understanding—it is a feeling, an emotion, an action. It’s everything.

It’s in that first sip of freshly brewed coffee in the morning…and the second and the third.

It’s in the squeaky sound beneath our feet when we walk on snow.

It’s in the golden-colored aspen leaves that flutter in the wind.

It’s in the smell of burning wood and the silence of dawn.

Love is the only language we all share. And I believe there is so much more than the five basic love languages: words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, physical touch, and quality time.

And though it could probably be argued that some of the love languages beyond the basic five could fall into these categories, I believe they deserve some more recognition.

Here are just a few examples of different love languages beyond the main five:

1. Humor.

Who doesn’t love to laugh? Laughter is nourishment. Laughter is vulnerable and intimate—it’s uncontrollable joy that is too great to fit inside in our human bodies.

Humor can be a subtle hint of telling the other person, “I feel safe enough to joke with you.”

Throw some innuendos at me, and I’m all yours.

2. Music.

Music is another language many of us share. Music has the ability to alter our emotions in an instant and to be able to share that experience with another being is real-life magic (side note: magic is real).

3. Chocolate.

Do I really need to explain this one? And yes, this absolutely deserves its own category.

Give me chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I’ll give you my heart. That’s all.

4. Silence.

This one is not talked about enough—pun most definitely intended. Being able to sit in deep, comfortable silence with someone is…really special.

It’s what it feels like to be held—it’s safety. And feeling safe with another human is something we must never take for granted.

5. Eye contact.

One of my favorite ways to create a deeper, intimate connection with someone is through eye contact. Eye contact is one of the simplest ways of letting someone know we have love and respect for them.

And it’s sexy.

6. “Text me when you get home.”

I don’t know about you, but I think showing someone we care about their safety is sexy as hell.

7. Chocolate.

Oops. Did I already mention chocolate?

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