I got married young, that’s a fact. When I announced my engagement, a lot of people questioned me, asking things like, “But don’t you want to have more fun before you settle down?” and saying things like, “Well, say goodbye to your freedom!” While it may be a common view that getting married is the end of fun and freedom, it’s actually far from the truth. Settling down with the person you love doesn’t mark an end to anything, but rather it is a beginning to an amazing journey together. So, let me help dispel the myth that marriage leads to boredom by sharing with you some things that it turns out are actually more fun after you’re married!
1. Travelling
A lot of people say that travelling is on their pre-marriage bucket list. But really, there’s no reason to stop travelling just because you’re married—in fact, it’s more fun when you are married! Travelling to new places with my husband has been amazing and unforgettable. Having someone at your side while you explore, whether it’s a natural wonder or a new city, makes it far more memorable. Every trip is a romantic getaway, even if we’re just hiking in the woods, and I wouldn’t want to go anywhere without him to share the experience with anymore.
2. Shopping
Whether it’s grocery shopping, clothes shopping, or furniture shopping, I definitely have more fun when my husband is along with me. He’s one of those rare specimens who love shopping too, so having him there is awesome. When you’re married, you have a built in opinion-giver—you can always count on him to help you look for the perfect items and give you honest opinions about whether that dress really flatters you or not. Also, shopping for things like household items together is a fun, bonding experience. We love going through expensive shops that we could never actually afford and getting ideas for what to do with our house together and talking about our future plans for it.
3. Going out for a drink.
Going out to the bar to grab a cocktail or two seems to be a stereo-typically single-life activity. Well, stop viewing it that way because, trust me, it’s better when you’re married! Instead of going to the bar to flirt with someone and maybe meet a new cutie, you get to just go out and relax. You don’t worry about what to wear because you’ve already got your man, you have no one to try and impress. You don’t take a hit to your self-esteem if no one comes up to chat with you because well, you’re already here with someone! Going out for a drink has turned from a nervous, high maintenance dating scene to a relaxing night of fun with your husband. As an added bonus, your date already knows how you behave when drunk—and you know he still loves you anyway.
4. Sex
Activity in the bedroom is supposed to get boring after you’re married, right? Wrong! Being married changes your sex life for the better for many reasons. One being that you become so comfortable with your husband that you’re able to relax fully and trust him with your most intimate desires. You don’t have anything you hide from him and he knows you as well as you know yourself, so your sex life will become so much more fulfilling. In addition, you’ve got no reason to be shy anymore. You know he wants you—he married you, after all! He’s seen every inch of you many times already, so now sex is more comfortable and the focus is all on the pleasure. Leave the lights on? Sure, who cares! Not to mention, you’ve got a built-in booty call now!
5. Cooking
While cooking isn’t necessarily the most exciting thing to begin with, being married makes it a lot more fun. In fact, I’d even say it’s one of my favorite things about being married! We’ve been able to share recipes with each other of our childhood favorites, teaching each other new foods and techniques and we have a blast cooking together. Since we also come from different cultures, sharing our different food backgrounds with each other has been amazing and we’ve both taught each other to enjoy many new and delicious recipes. Now, we never run out of interesting recipes and the menu at home is always amazing.
6. The Holidays
Ah yes, the sometimes loved, sometimes dreaded holiday seasons. Let me tell you, you definitely look forward to it more when you’re married! You never need to get stressed wondering, “Who’s going to kiss me on New Year’s Eve?” or “What if I don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day?” You’ve already got a date for Christmas… and New Year’s, and Valentine’s, and every other holiday! Plus, the stress of gift-giving is much alleviated too—it’s a lot easier to know what your husband would like for a gift than it is trying to guess what the guy you’ve only been seeing for a few months might like to get, and you get to save money by buying gifts as a couple rather than as individuals. The holidays are a lot more fun and relaxed when you’re married!
7. The Monotony of Daily Life
The absolute best thing about being married? Having a person who’s always there to cheer you up when you need it. Having someone who knows you so well, you’ve always got someone to make you laugh. You’ve got a lifetime of inside jokes and he knows every silly little thing that will make you smile. I’ve easily had more genuine belly laughs with my husband since being married than I’d previously had in my life. We’re always making each other laugh, whether we’re washing our laundry together or laying in bed having some pillow talk. All the meaningless, trivial things of daily life become treasured moments together after you’re married.
In this day and age, marriage and starting a family isn’t the be-all and end-all goal for women that it used to be in centuries past. However, there are distinct financial and emotional advantages to entering into a legally binding relationship with your life partner. No one can say that a marriage will be easy or happy or fulfilling; like all things in life, it will be your job to make it so, but having a partner to work with may help ease the burden a little bit. And if you’re afraid of committing and then falling out of love, as the quote from American journalist and psychoanalyst Judith Viorst goes, “One advantage of marriage is that, when you fall out of love with him or he falls out of love with you, it keeps you together until you fall in again.”