Marriage, what a joke! (Well at least for right now)

Since I live in Utah talking about marriage isn't really that big of an issue- actually it's the norm for us who are still in our early 20s. Everyone is obsessed with getting engaged, or becoming married and frankly it's starting to make me feel sick to my stomach. Westminster College (my graduate school) prides itself on being this great liberal arts school that is progressive, independent and a school to really help us for our futures even supports this notion that getting married when we are young in our 20s in totally cool and progressive. Heck I have seen two different bridal magazines in the bookstore. COME ON, are you serious?

Only in Utah I would say, but the truth is this type of attitude is everywhere. So many of my friends from high school, from college and now from Utah have either recently gotten in engaged or have recently gotten married. WE are only 23, 24 and 25. While I support all of them and am so happy for them, it's a bit ridiculous. People have told me recently that I am just bitter because I am not one of those 24 year olds that is engaged or married, well I AM NOT BITTER and I AM NOT JEALOUS. Honestly I have my whole life to get married. I am only 24 once and I have bigger plans, dreams and aspirations to experience then getting married. We are in our ideal time in our lives to travel, to move, and to continue our path towards our career aspirations. THIS IS IT! This is the time we have to be "selfish" for ourselves. If I want to go to Peru for language school this summer for a few months, I can without having to consult anyone else. That might sound really selfish of me, but that what this time is for.

I am attending graduate school right now for Teaching and I couldn't be more happy. I am following my dreams! When I told my dad that I wanted to get my Masters in Teaching he wasn't too happy because he wanted me to work in sports. He said "Jenna you should work in sports, you are so talented and you would be really good at working in Sports Information." Well I tried that and hated it, so instead of staying in a career I hated I moved on. Now if I was married or engaged I might have stayed put working in the sports world. I am currently living my life the way I want to live it, and I couldn't be happier.

When you live your life the way you want to live it, good things happen. I do have an amazing boyfriend who maybe in the future I could see marrying, but definitely not right now! My goals involve becoming a special education teacher, traveling to South America to go to language school to better my spanish, become a better rock climber, visit old friends whom I rarely see anymore like Sarah Lake and continue to have random adventures. Heck I want to be FINANICAL stable before I even consider marriage. So while there are tons of us 24 year olds that feel a lot of pressure to get married, resist it and continue to do the things that you want to do in your life to MAKE YOU HAPPY! If marriage would make you find bliss, then get married. Get married for you versus society, religion, friends, or even your significant other because at the end of the day its YOU that needs to be happy, feel accomplished and feel good.

So for all those single gals you don't need to put a ring on it. Travel, visit friends, laugh, go for your dreams prior to putting a ring on it!