I Love My Boyfriend, But Sometimes I Miss The Single Life

I Love My Boyfriend, But Sometimes I Miss The Single Life ©iStock/puhhha

My boyfriend is great and I wouldn’t trade him for the world, but despite all that, there are still times when I kind of miss being single. Our relationship is strong and I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t met him, but I sometimes wonder how different my life would be if I were still on my own.

  1. I’d have a lot more time to myself. It’s just a fact of life: being in a relationship takes up a lot of your time. With all the time I spend just with my boyfriend, I could invest it somewhere else, like in learning a new skill or taking on a second job, and I could be way more productive.
  2. I’d be able to make major decisions on a whim.If I were single, I could quit my job tomorrow and move to another country, just because I felt like it. But I have a boyfriend, so that changes everything. Now, big decisions like that have to be discussed and agreed upon by both parties, and before I do something like move, I’d have to make sure my boyfriend is also able to change jobs.
  3. Making dinner would be a whole lot simpler. When you’re cooking for one, there’s a lot less food to make, and also a lot less to really think about, especially if you’re not a picky eater. But when cooking for two, you have to consider each person’s preferences. I’d be fine chopping up some veggies and making a light salad for dinner, but I don’t think that would be enough for a grown man.
  4. I wouldn’t have to drag anyone with me to family gatherings. Because c’mon, what guy wants to go to a party when your parents will be there, along with a million little kids who are all screaming and running around? If I were single, I could just relax and enjoy myself, but instead I have to defend my boyfriend from all my weirdo family members who like to ask strange questions. It also doesn’t help to leave him home altogether, because all that does is make my family feel bad and think he doesn’t like them.
  5. People wouldn’t constantly ask me when I’m getting married.Which is super awkward when it’s coming from my 85-year-old grandmother and my boyfriend is standing right there next to me. It’s like anytime a cousin gets engaged or pregnant, people look at me.
  6. I wouldn’t feel weird talking to my single friends about their dating lives.I can’t exactly join in on the conversations about odd dates my friends have been on lately because I don’t have any stories of my own. I’m with the same guy I’ve been with for the past few years, and things are going great. But my friends all have these crazy (or hot) experiences. All I can do is sit there going “Oh okay, hmmm, that’s nice, wow.”
  7. It wouldn’t be hard hanging out with my friends when they want to go to bars or clubs.When my friends start planning a night out, it usually involves drinking and looking for guys. I can tag along, but then I’m that girl at the bar who truly isn’t lying about having a boyfriend, and it just makes me feel awkward and wonder why I even bothered going when all my friends are off talking to guys.
  8. I could hang out with whomever I want without feeling guilty.Guy friends, exes, it doesn’t matter. If you’re single, you can see whoever you want, whenever you want, and you can do whatever you want too, without having to answer to anyone. There’s no one to get jealous over you either.
  9. I wouldn’t wonder whether I’m missing out on something.No matter what your relationship status is, we always think the grass is greener on the other side. Single people long for true love and a partner to share the rest of their lives with, while people in relationships wonder about the freedom and excitement that comes from meeting and being with so many different people. I’m totally happy in my relationship and love the life we have together, but the media will always be there to make me wonder. Still, despite that, I wouldn’t trade my boyfriend for anything. I can wonder all I want, but in the end I know I’ve already made my decision.
Chelsey is a freelance writer in NYC. She's pretty normal by today's standards, or at least that's what her mother tells her.
close-link
close-link