Shacking up, living alone and all that

Off on a tangent:
ISSUE #15 - Relationships in Your 20s

For some reason, dating in your 20s has been a big topic with people this week. I don't know where it's coming from. But there it is, like the elephant in the room that no one likes to talk about, but we do anyway.

A good number of people I know are living together, engaged, married or married with kids. I think it's awesome that they can find someone in this crazy mixed-up world. Plus the girly-girl in me loves to romanticize about things like soul mates and "the one."

The winter issue of Jetty got me wondering: Is moving in with someone something I should be thinking about? Heck, is dating someone long-term something I really need to consider?

And then it hit me. I don't like to share. Chalk it up to being an only child. Whatever it is, I like to have sole possession of the remote control, and I never keep my apartment clean.

My BFF told me she didn't want to go to her 10-year high school reunion because she wasn't married with kids. That's what most people expected from her and her classmates. I told her it was ridiculous. If these people really cared about her, they wouldn't be concerned about her social life, but would congratulate her on all her accomplishments. (*Note: She's about to get her second master's degree.)

After I had been here awhile, someone asked me if my mom wanted me to settle down. I remarked that she would be happy if I stopped moving every year to a new apartment or city. This was settled for me, for now: Living in the same place for more than a year and buying "grown-up" furniture. (Thank you, IKEA.)

Last year, I renewed the lease on my current apartment. It may not be shacking up with someone, but it's a long-term relationship to me.

On the iPod: Artic Monkeys, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"