I recently turned 24 and graduated college. Everyone is probably waiting to see how long it takes for me to get married and have kids. They're gonna have to wait awhile.

Most of the peers I graduated high school with now have kids. A lot of my friends have kids. A lot of my friends are in long term relationships (few are actually married). That's great for all of them, but it's not influencing me to settle down any day soon.

I love the idea of having kids young, as you get to love them longer, but I don't want to be "too young." I've been in school for 12 plus years and just finished for good, and want to see what life is like without school. I'm still a baby, way too immature to raise a child. I want to travel, be careless, throw caution to the wind, discover the world beyond New England. I want to be young, wild, and free while I'm still young, get it out of me before I become a mom.

I've dated around, and was in love with a guy that even discussed marriage and kids with me. At first, I thought that's where my life was going to go, being in love and in a new relationship, but as time continued on, I realized I wasn't ready for marriage, or kids. I'm glad I realized this before I got myself too deep into the relationship.

As a child of divorce parents, I have a horrible fear of my own marriage ending. I want to get married once, and want my first marriage to be my only marriage. I want to be married forever, no matter how bad things may get. I don't want history to repeat itself, nor do I want my future children to have to experience their first heartbreak watching their parents' marriage break down.

Times are hard right now economically. I'll be owing my college for a long time, while trying to make money for other essential needs, while living with my struggling mother. I can barely take care of myself, let alone take care of a child. I don't want my future kids to live in a house where Mom and Dad are constantly struggling, I want to be able to give them everything my parents couldn't afford to give me and my brother. I need to continue building an empire before I add little heirs to the throne.

I'm not interested in dating right now, as past heartache, as well with me being focused on trying to build a writing career, and possibly an acting career. I don't want to be distracted. I'm also very tired of getting hurt. I've raised my standards for boyfriends, and where I live, I've yet to find any guy that's fits my dream guy criteria. If I do start dating, I do want to start looking for husband material, as well as father material, I won't accept anything less, we have to be choosy.

Ideally, I would like to start a family in about five years when I'm 29, hopefully married, successful, and financially stable. Having a family of my own is a dream, but I need to fulfill other dreams before I fulfill this one.