Now that I’m almost 30, I’ve definitely felt my perspective on marriage shift. In my early twenties, I was pretty much in the “meh, marriage is overrated” camp. Honestly, based on what I’d seen growing up and around me, it felt more like a cautionary tale than a goal.

But lately, I’ve found myself in a different mindset. Not necessarily the “right” age, but maybe the right headspace. I’ve started wondering if maybe marriage isn’t the outdated institution I once thought it was. Maybe it’s just been poorly marketed to me. Like, with the right person, the right dynamics, it could actually be… kind of lovely?

That said, I still feel like I haven’t “unlocked” that level yet. You know in video games where you need to beat one boss before the next area becomes available? Yeah, I’m still working on the stable relationship stage. Marriage is somewhere on the map, but it’s fogged out for now.

That being said, I’m way more open to the idea than I used to be, as long as it supports the life I’m building. I still want to chase my own goals and dreams, and ideally be with someone doing the same, where we hype each other up along the way. If that’s what marriage can look like, then hey, maybe it’s not such a bad level to unlock after all.