Many of my friends on social media have shared the article titled From The Girl Ready To Settle Down At 20. I enjoyed reading the article, it was well written. I am not someone who is bitter about people who are in relationships-- however, I was the girl ready to settle down at 20 and it didn't work out, so I'd like to share my experience.

I met my long term boyfriend after a series of bad relationships and the fact of the matter was that he seemed perfect in comparison to my other relationships. Infatuated with the fact that this guy was giving me more attention than my exes, I clung to him tightly and I thought he was the one. We were together for two years until I realized within my "perfect relationship" that settling down meant not following my own aspirations and losing my independence.

I realized this once I began meeting my personal goals and my boyfriend wasn't excited for me. I was ready to transfer from our two year college and he had no plan so in his mind I was suppose to sympathize with him instead of celebrating my success. I had amazingly, supportive friends who he tried to keep me away from. At the time, I thought this was normal, that I was a bad person if I didn't accommodate to his lack of ambition and that his protectiveness was him loving me and not jealousy; in retrospect I wish I hadn't put myself through the mental exhaustion.

I am writing this because I accomplished so much because I decided not to settle. I have also realized that I never want to "settle." Settling implies permanence and how boring would life be if we stopped expanding our horizons? Don't get me wrong, I want to fall in love, but I want someone to grow, learn and discover with-- not someone to hold me back.