On Settling Down and Getting Married

"I'll get married at the age of 26. Or perhaps at the age of 27 or 28, but should not be later than 30."

That's what I usually tell my friends whenever we talk about the future where we are already established individuals, having our own permanent jobs or profitable businesses, and achieving our personal dreams and goals, until we're already settling down, getting married, and building our own family.

Most of my friends are still single, and so am I, but we all have our own ideal age of when is the perfect time to get married. Some of my girlfriends say that they will also get married at the age of 28, while my guy friend would say that it's just fine for him if he will get married at the age of 30 or later. My friends even joke around that if they are still single at the age of 35, they'll just marry each other.

Every time I say that line above, my friends would immediately count how many years are still left until my desired age comes. And they would shortly ask me, "Will you be able to find a boyfriend in those years?"

I'm actually single since birth and being in a relationship is something that comes into my mind sometimes, especially when I see that some of my High School friends and classmates are already getting married and already have their own child or two. They just seem so happy in their pictures, and I would then think about having one in the future too. I would then daydream of the day where I already found the one, being in a happy relationship, getting married, and building our own family.

Ever since I thought of settling down, 26 to 28 is really my ideal age of getting married. Some would say that it's too early and I shouldn't rush things, especially on this serious one. However, I have this thinking that if I get married at 26 and bear a child at 28, that means I will have a longer time to spend with my child. And once my child grows up and wants to have a family too, then I will also still be alive to spend time with my grandchildren. (Oh diba, apo agad. 🤣)

However, whenever reality already hits me, slaps me in the face, and pours cold water all over me, I would then be reminded that I actually have a lot of plans to pursue, goals to achieve, and dreams that I want to come true. I would be reminded that being in a relationship, especially settling down and getting married is still out of the picture.

I have been very vocal about my ambitious dreams and goals and getting to achieve some, if not all, of them, is my number one priority in life.

My personal goals include getting to renovate our family house to make it more comfortable for my parents to live on, getting to buy a piece of land by the sea, and building my dream house there, which I can also put on rent during summertime, buying a car that I can use for my dream travel business, and for my own leisure travel, building a profitable business for my parents to manage, and getting to visit some or all of my dream travel destinations in the Philippines and in foreign countries.

My ultimate dream and goal, for now, is to achieve Financial Freedom so that I will be able to accomplish all of these goals and plans I have.

I am only 21 years old (and yes, only 5 to 7 years left until my ideal age of getting married comes) but settling down and getting married at that age is actually just a daydream and a fantasy. I may say it but that's just it, unless the right one finally finds its way to me and plans to marry me already. Charot! 🤣

For now, my focus is to improve myself and make myself a better person or be the best version of myself. My priorities in life are my goals, family, and friends. Before thinking of settling down and getting married, I have to ready myself first financially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, so that when the right person comes at the right time and at the right place, I will also be the right person waiting for him. Charot! 🤣

Papayaman muna bago mag-asawa! 🤣