Recently, a slew of friends and relatives have gotten married. In fact, I’ll be attending another wedding this month, the fifth one for this year. Two more friends are tying the knot later this year. I must be near that age when women start to feel their biological clock ticking and make that mad dash down the wedding aisle. Despite all the wedding hullabaloo happening all around me, I still don’t don’t feel the pressure to settle down–at least not just yet. Talking to different female friends, I learned about different perspectives and priorities in life. Here are some of them.
Babies
Aside from weddings, a lot of my friends have babies in mind. As of today, three of them have given birth and three more are giving birth at the end of the year. Victoria, a friend who got married in March, wasted no time in trying out for baby. Most married couples would wait a year or two before having one so they could enjoy newlywed bliss and focus on each other first, but not Victoria. She felt envious when her best friend Mae gave birth in January. As she is in her late 20s, she also felt the pressure to have her baby young, as childbearing becomes more difficult as women grow older.
Career
Although women feel the urge to settle down and have a family, for some, a career comes first. Some women want to carve a name for themselves in the corporate world or whatever industry they are in, especially when their drive to succeed is high. There are also those who become so focused on their career that they become “married” to their work and can’t imagine giving up the sweet taste of success for family life. Some career women only want to start a family or have kids once they’re financially stable.
Future
My friend Laine is good at thinking and living life at the moment. Grace on the other hand, is busy thinking of the future and feels that now she need to do more living in the moment. The former is turning 29 in a couple of months and that realization has led her to think about things she normally doesn’t like to think too much about–the future. In your 20s, you’re allowed to to be selfish, to think only of yourself and what you want to do with your life and where you want to go. In your 30s, you start to think about wanting to settle down, raise kids, and prepare for the future, which includes insurance. You don’t really take the time to consider term life insurance company seriously until you have kids and you want to ensure their future.
Travel
Women should grab the opportunity to travel when they’re single. Once you’re married or have kids, travel is going to take a backseat because your family’s needs are going to come first. A lot of my friends are still single and they always make sure that they travel somewhere international at least once a year. I’m not saying that you can’t travel when you have your own family, only that it’s going to take more planning and saving before you can leave on a trip. So if your feet are itching to quench that wanderlust, better enjoy your singlehood by traveling to your heart’s content. Something that would make traveling even more perfect is finding a partner who shares your love of adventure.
