As a junior in college, I usually begin my Monday mornings by making my husband coffee and dropping him off at the Psychology Building. It’s slightly odd to remember that before I met Nick, I was certain that I’d never get married. I planned on excelling in college and quickly moving out of my parents’ house to a big city. Now I see the irony in how much life got in the way of my plans.
Nick and I met in Emerson Hall my freshman and his sophomore year. It would so much more exciting if I could tell you it was love at first sight, but unfortunately, I asked another guy to lunch right in front of him (whoops!). When he finally recovered and offered to take me to dinner, we had our first date at Wild Bistro. His fortune cookie said, “Sometimes a stranger will bring great meaning to you life.” Succinctly put, the rest is history.
The number one query about our decision to get married this past August is: “Why so young?” I think a better question is: “Why wait?” If you both want to and are emotionally and mentally ready, why put it off? I only have one life to live, and I am not interested in spending years of my life saying “I’d love to get married—but I need a house first… I need my final career first…” Or even, “I need to graduate first.” We love each other so much that our financial concerns paled in comparison. We were going to do whatever it took to make it work. Also, and importantly, we talked a lot about what marriage meant to us before we were even engaged. We both hold the beliefs that divorce is not an option and that nothing cannot be forgiven.
The idea of being married is losing its surreal quality, and we are settled into a routine. Nick is my best friend, and if we share nothing else, we’ll always have the same satirical sense of humor and the love of good food. We are truly happy.
I will always be Miss Independent. I grew up telling my Mom I would never get married because “I don’t need a man.” I was moving to a big city to explore and live a full life. And the thing is, I was right. I don’t need Nick. I want Nick. And that’s the beauty of it. I’m still going to live out my big-city dreams, but I’m going to have someone holding my hand.