When I was 20, I thought that I would be married or at least in a really serious relationship by the age of 30.  And it’s not that I think 30 is old by any means or that I had some sort of timeline but at that time, 30 just seemed so far away.  I mean, 10 years is a pretty long time; plenty of time to meet a guy, fall in love and get married.
Obviously as I went into this year, I figured out that marriage probably wasn’t going to happen.  Technically, it didn’t take me that long to figure it out, but I mean, you really never know what can happen.  But as my birthday got closer and closer, I kind of liked the idea of having a boyfriend or at least a date by my side on that day.
When the day actually came, I honestly have to say that I wasn’t all that sad that I didn’t have a man by my side.  Actually, I wasn’t sad at all.  I looked around me and saw all of the amazing friends and family that went out of their way to make the day special for me.  I also realized that I have accomplished a lot in life since I was 20.
Now that I am actually 30, I can honestly say that not having a significant other really doesn’t feel any different than when I was 20.  I mean, things around me have changed.  I now live in a completely different place.  Certain characteristics about me have also grown and changed, but honestly being single doesn’t feel any different for me.
I am not trying to take anything away from the whole concept of finding someone that you truly love.  But I do believe that there are many other things in life that you can also be happy about.  Things that are important as well.  And while the once 20-year-old girl thought she would be married by this time, the 30-year-old woman knows that she just hasn’t met the right guy yet.
Jessica Downey is a freelance writer who writes about dating and single life in Chicago. All of her ramblings can be found on her blog on ChicagoNow.com. She also writes for badonlinedates.com and has written for examiner.com.
