On not becoming parents, or growing up.
We have several friends right now who are growing up. Don't worry, we've told them. It's not a secret. They are having babies. What is interesting is that they are not buying houses. I think that some historians and cultural anthropologists would find this interesting. We are 27, and none of our friends- wait - yes, not one of our buddies from college owns a house. We have other work friends who own houses, but not one of our friends who are currently gestating or supporting the gestation of a baby have a mortgage.

A and I have thus far successfully avoided parentship, though someday, we would like to be parents. I haven't felt any pressure to have babies, even though two of my best girl friends are currently baking a bun, as it were.

I had my very first taste of jealousy/pressure from a small group of people who I don't know, have never seen before, and will likely not run into them very quickly again. I was sitting at a lovely local coffee shop near a newly married couple (A asked me how I knew they were newly married- I told him "because they looked 12 and had wedding bands on"). They were talking to the wife's parents about a new home that they bought. After casually eavesdropping on the details of their new garage, the fence they would have to "get after" come summer, and the verbal instructions rattled off by "dad" about "gas vs. forced air heating" I had been bitten.

I want a house. Since A and I don't even know if we will be in Minnesota next year, this a completely fool-hardy drive. This does not bother me. I will waste half of today tooling Zillow and real estate websites. We can't afford anything. This doesn't bother me either.