Hot Pink Coconut

On Getting Married, Saving Up, Going Back to School, and Moving Forward

Recently, there had been serious talks about marriage, and (surprise, surprise!) it involves me and my beloved boyfriend. Apparently, my boyfriend’s parents advised him that it may be time for us to settle down, live together, and start building a future family of our own. (Thankfully, though, they didn’t explicitly say that we should have our own kids soon, cause I sure am not ready for that one.) I haven’t told my parents about this yet, but I know they’ll be just as surprised.

I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting wedding talks at this point in time. I have just turned 23 and still have a whole list of plans, goals, and future realities to pursue. Relationship-wise, however, I believe I am more mature now. My boyfriend, who is very supportive of my decisions, is also not rushing to get hitched. I know, and he tells me, that he still hopes to achieve so many things before he’d want to settle down. In short, we are both not rushing, but yes, we do want to get married. And yes, we want a romantically enchanting yet solemn wedding, so we really have to save up for it.

Before wedding money, however, we need to consider other things. First, I have to save up for tuition so I can finally pursue a Masters degree next year and be a diplomat someday. Next, I have to earn a lot and save up, so I contribute to my family’s upcoming home renovation project. And lastly, I need to earn and save even more so I can buy my own car the soonest time possible. All these are just short term goals—meaning, all should be accomplished in one or two years.

Aside from these financial plans, I also have professional and academic career growth plans that are enough to offset any wedding dates. As already mentioned, I will be pursuing a Masters degree soon so I can finally shift to my dream profession of becoming a diplomat. Right now, however, I should strive to do well in my career in the field of IT consultancy, just in case my ultimate dream profession gets pushed back a bit further down the time line.

Almost a week ago, I was transferred to a new project. This brought about fresh challenges, a whole book of things to learn, a different work circle, and new work friends. This is a welcome change, but it also means that I have to be more focused with work. A few days ago, my boyfriend found himself in a similar situation: he is transferring work soon. He just accepted an offer for a higher paying job from a considerably more competitive company than his current one. We both know that these changes are necessary, and I’m just thankful that he is being wonderfully supportive.

In a few days, it will be our 15th month together. It doesn’t mean that people we know will be hearing wedding bells soon, but we sure are getting there. Who knows, maybe in our 30th month? Well, I’m keeping my hopes up.