Everyone Is Getting Married Except Me & I'm Okay With It!

So I know we all go through that phase where we want to completely purge ourselves of social media because every platform we use is all of a sudden bombarded by engagement photos, weddings, and babies. Well, it's my turn. Thankfully none of my close friends have gotten engaged yet but I know it's coming for some of them. On top of the impending debt that will surely come along with those weddings, now that I have moved in with my boyfriend, my own interrogation has started.  

• When are you getting married? 
• Have you two talked about it? 
• You've been together for a long time, what are you waiting for? 
• Have you talked about kids? 
• Are you going to finish school first? 

LEAVE ME ALONE. This barrage of questioning is usually followed by me politely brushing them off and laughing "Haha oh you know I still have my master's program and he is working so we're going to wait."

When in reality, 

1) We are in no financial place to get hitched. 

2) We've discussed this and he said he wouldn't be proposing until he can afford the ring I want (which I'm fine with, obvi) 

3) My would-be-fiance is leaving to take a coaching job 3 hours away and I refuse to be engaged and planning a wedding essentially on my own. 

And 4) Now I have to go get a martini to forget that you just brought this topic up. 

When and IF  we get married it will be on our own terms. I say if because every few months I go through a phase where I decide that I am never getting married and at some point I'll just start referring to him as my manfriend  instead of my boyfriend, because you know-- *Adults* and we'll just have a common law marriage [is that even a real thing?] 

WHO KNOWS?!

I think that the biggest point that I have to keep reminding myself of it that, this is our life, and no one else's. Just a few weeks ago I had a group of older ladies dolling out their advice on why couples shouldn't live together before marriage because "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" Because what girl doesn't love being compared to livestock? 

Also, a word to the wise: don't order a class ring that essentially looks like an engagement ring. I have learned the hard way...