Top 7 Reasons to Not Get Married (or at Least Not Yet)

Before I embark on this article, let me give you a bit of personal background: I have been married for the last six and a half years. Before that, my husband and I dated for two years, living together for one year prior to the marriage. After marriage, I finished my degree and moved away for my job, leaving him for a year and half until he too finished his degree and moved to where I was, and where we both are now located.

In the process of my moving away, being alone for a year and half, and then having him return, I learned a lot. For starters, although I was still technically married when I moved, it certainly didn't feel that way. When I'd go out on the town, unless I announced my marital status, people just assumed that I was single. Thus, you can imagine the kind of rapport a woman gets when she arrives at a bar/club with no man on her arm- it's basically a no-holds-barred free-for-all! To tell you the truth, I didn't mind the attention one bit- having lived a rather sheltered life until then, either studying for my degree or living under my husband's watchful gaze, I never knew (or maybe forgot?) that I was still an attractive woman. I quickly adapted to my newfound "single" status, and also wondered how I went so long without ever talking to any male admirers. Furthermore, I also met many new friends, both male and female, which I definitely appreciated. One certainly does not meet new people when glued to her husband at every outing. Because I had a year and a half of unescorted outings, I was able to meet, talk with, and make many new friends.

When I wasn't out socializing, I was engaged in other activities such as running, writing, shopping, traveling, photography, and so forth. I went to theatrical performances, concerts, lectures, beer festivals, and art openings. I found out that I liked many more things than originally thought, such as ice skating and playing pool, and that I was much more than just my degree and my job. Life, and its endless possibilities, opened up for me, as if I were seeing all these things for the first time.