Oh, don’t you deny it; love is in the air. It’s not the holiday season and I can already tell that it is the other magical time of year: Spring. I know that there is snow still on the ground, and your puffy jacket is still glued to your body, but the gloriousness of spring is right around the bend. And with spring comes a variety of fun activities including spending time outside, running around the muddy construction sites, basking in the semi-warm air that immediately makes you put on your flip-flops, and what else? Love; and marriage. Yes, you read that right.

It was only a few short months ago that a good friend of mine told me his plans to propose to his girlfriend at the beginning of the upcoming summer, which basically meant late spring. Stunned and breathless, I could only muster a cheery “Congratulations,” and change the topic of conversation as fast as I could.

My friend, George, has a very warm heart and loves his girlfriend very much, but I felt that the topic of marriage flew out of his mouth as easily as what he was going to have for lunch. We talked about his wonderful statement for a bit until I realized I could not continue discussing this idea that was so unfamiliar to me.

Being the supportive friend that I am, I would never criticize or belittle his decision to propose. I encouraged him to do what he felt was right, but the idea of marriage tends to make my heartbeat quicken and my brain become a scrambled mess. When George threw down the marriage card on his life table, I began thinking about my world here at UVM. I am only a sophomore who finally decided on my major after changing it about five times and could barely see myself being prepared for marriage.

My boyfriend and I have been together for a very long time and I do not see anything drastically bad changing our relationship, but marriage? We have skirted around the issue at brief moments in time and even joked about having children, but never anything actually serious. We are too young to be that fully committed, right? Well, at least it’s too soon since we’re already committed, don’t you think?

I suppose if one is ready to settle down immediately after college, then, “Congratulations!” I think I may be ready to live with someone after putting in my four UVM years, but I do feel that there should be a grace period when I can figure out what direction my life will take.

Whether you are ready to put your feet in one circle with one person for the rest of your life or you are still shopping around to find that person who makes your heart stop upon sight, you should enjoy the ride that comes with either option. I congratulate my friend and his future fianc?© and realize that every time I turn around there will always be someone one step ahead of me, but that does not mean it is my turn to take that same step—yet.