I've known since I was a freshman in high school that I didn't want kids. Whenever I was asked where do you see yourself in five years or I would lie in bed and dream about the future, kids were never in the picture. As I got older and people started asking about kids, I got tired of being told I will change my mind so i just said I was on the fence about kids. People left me alone about kids after that. What I was in my good husband, traveling, and several dogs. For some reason when I say I don't want kids, people feel they have the right to say, "You'll change your mind." or "You're still young." When it comes to kids, I choose me. I choose my career in medicine. And I choose my deep love of traveling over kids.

Five years later, I haven't changed my mind. Its not that I hate them, that I have health problems, or the various other reasons people have come up with. There are many reasons why I don't want kids. One reason is that I am quite introverted and like having quiet, free time. I love having a day off from work so I decide to go to a museum or an art exhibit and then get lunch afterwards. I have no problem doing this alone or with a close friend. In fact I prefer that. I think life loses its spontaneity because you have to book a babysitter or take the kids with you.

But the biggest reason is that I want to focus on my career and be able to travel. I am choosing to become a nurse which is a stressful job. I don't want to have a stressful day at work and then come home and have kids to deal with. In fact sometimes I feel I can barely take care of myself. Whenever I am stressed I relax with some dark chocolate and a favorite TV show of mine and will probably go to bed early. I have been called immature because of this. For some reason people think if they are able to handle a stressful job and come home to screaming children who wont go to bed, that makes them more mature. I know there are people who are able to handle a stressful job and kids because they get their joy and happiness from kids. I simply don't. I get my joy and happiness from traveling, knowing I have a good job, and am great at it.

When I started college, I made the decision to live at home with my parents to save money while going to school. Right around this time, my parents started working full-time. That left me to basically be a housewife and I absolutely hated it. I love looking after my brother but I hated doing this on.a day to day basis. I barely had any free time. After a while i found myself staying up later and later at night just trying to enjoy my free time.

My favorite comment from people is being told I will change my mind or that I am too young to make this big of a decision. Yet if the tables were turned they would never say that to a pregnant woman. I have a good friend of mine who is the same age as me but no one ever asks if she is sure she wants a baby. I am not too young to make up my mind about this. At my age, people are expected to have an entire life plan and are expected to go to college. College isn't for everyone and is big decision high school grads make. It may not seem very big but college is expensive and you could waste a lot of time just to find out its not for you.

Again, I don't hate kids. But I also don't love them. The only exception is my niece and even she gets annoying. Every time I am out in public and hear a crying baby, I don't get annoyed, children are notorious for misbehaving in public. I do get a smile on my face though and think, "I am so glad I don't have kids." Even when I do meet "the one" I won't change my opinion if he doesn't feel the same about kids. If do meet some guy that causes me to change an opinion about something that I have felt strongly about a majority of my life, I need to remind myself that I am not a middle school girl and a boy should not have that much influence over my life.

Its not that I will be alone. Actually I do, but no one likes feeling lonely. I still plan to get married. Have a perfect tiny house and have two to three dogs. With a personal at-home library. Deciding to not have children doesn't make me a monster. In a world full of pro-baby people making a decision not to have children when its so incredibly unpopular to feel that way, just means I know where my priorities lie and are not afraid to go against the tide. I believe that choosing to not have kids is the ultimate way to put yourself first. I don't care if some people think this decision is selfish. Honestly I think being a little selfish is okay. I am choosing my career and a life of traveling over kids. Deal with it.