How do you know you’re ready for marriage and not just afraid of wasting time again?

I came out of a long-distance relationship that lasted almost 7 years. During those 7 years, we barely got to spend meaningful time together in person.

From the very beginning, I was always honest about what I wanted. I wanted us to get married as soon as it was realistic because the plan was for me to relocate to his country. (I didn't even ask for a big wedding, I've always thought civil is good enough, I'm pretty much a simple girl with simple dreams)

By our 6th year together, he still hadn’t proposed, but he gave me a ring and promised we’d still get married someday.

My ex wasn’t a romantic person, and for a long time I accepted that. I want to acknowledge that he worked incredibly hard. He even changed jobs so he could earn more money and save for a house for us.

The thing is… I never asked for any of that.
Hell I don't care if we had to rent for years or move from apartment to apartment. I didn’t need the perfect house or the perfect financial situation. I have a job too! and I just wanted to start building a life together.

Instead, he was so focused on sticking to his timeline and long-term plans that I spent most of the relationship waiting.

I was renting my own place too, and I kept putting my own life on hold, not buying anything for my home because I kept telling myself, “I’m moving anyway.” I disposed almost everything I owned. I didn’t buy furniture, or make long-term plans because I genuinely believed I’d be leaving soon. I felt like my life was always packed into boxes, waiting for a move that never came! Or that I'm on the other side of the door the whole time

We were supposedly close to getting married, he finally got us a house... but by then I had reach the end of my role. On top of many realizations of our relationship, marriage itself wouldn’t fix the incompatibilities we’d spent years avoiding.

\-------
Now I’m in a new relationship, a year of dating now, and it’s honestly everything I wished for!

My boyfriend is incredibly thoughtful and affectionate. He makes me feel loved every day, and he actually talks about our future and makes plans with me instead of just saying “one day"! And he includes me for everything happening in his life even we are apart.

The problem part is… I’m a little too excited about the idea of marrying him too! I don't know... it's because of how we talk about our future too!
I didn't want kids before but when I met him and we talk about our future, I can almost imagine him being such a good father! So I consider maybe 1 or 2 if we could hahaha

But I’m also scared.

I’m worried that I’m being too eager because of what I went through before. Part of me wonders if I’m overcorrecting after spending seven years waiting for someone who never seemed ready.

I just don't want to unintentionally pressure my current boyfriend or rush something healthy just because my previous relationship left me with this fear of wasting more years.

I am almost 29! Most of my friends would say I'm already a wife-material. I have independently lived alone for years. So maybe that's a factor where I imagine myself living with a husband hahaha

and I do love taking care of my man too.
He visited me and I loved having him around!! Just doing little lovey dovey things together and all. Giving him massages etc. (don't ask me my love language, I speak and show all of them)😂

Has anyone else experienced this after leaving a long-term relationship? How do I let myself breathe and my relationship breathe?

I thought I'd never love again but here we are! and I do love my boyfriend with all my heart! I've known the love he has for his family, his friends and I do not wish to break his heart.

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u/Low_Problem1988 — 17 hours ago

I didn’t think this app would end up being such a nice place to hang out

I live alone! And most days it's just me, my hobbies, and my thoughts.

Almost everybody comes here to just read/post, ask for advice, or just share what’s on their mind. It’s oddly comforting to see complete strangers being so open with each other!

Insta kind of turned me into an oversharer. (Although I literally have 10 followers, I keep my instagram for the people that I'm really close with)

I’d post every thought until I started wondering if I was just bothering my friends! Like when I post cringy posts on my story etc lmfao or the memes I share so randomly 😭

Here, though, it feels different. People choose to read your post, engage if they want to, and move on if they don’t.

Nice to be here with you all!
So.. are there dangers in here though? Ahahaha

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u/Low_Problem1988 — 19 hours ago

Did anyone else’s previous relationship give them insecurities about sex?

Just wanted to share this because I honestly wonder if anyone else has experienced something similar.

I was in a long-distance relationship with a guy who had a really low libido. Every time we’d finally get to see each other, sex was disappointing. Most of the time, he couldn’t stay hard, and we rarely had a satisfying experience.

The thing is, I genuinely loved him. But deep down, I also wanted to explore that side of a relationship. I wanted to understand my body, experience intimacy, and know what good sex actually felt like.

Since it was my first real relationship, I kept wondering if I just wasn’t attractive enough. Maybe my body wasn’t enough. Maybe I was terrible in bed. I had so many insecurities and fears back then.

Looking back now, I think we just had intimacy issues. He was also the typical Japanese working guy so I thought stress also played a huge role

Then I met my current boyfriend.

And damn

The first time we had sex, we ended up doing it twice. 😄 It honestly felt like discovering a whole new side of intimacy!
He’s BIG, I could actually feel everything. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but he was incredibly gentle and kept checking if I was okay the entire time! It didn’t feel awkward or forced.

I also think the buildup made a huge difference. When we’re apart, we flirt and tease, and making each other feel wanted!
Although I didn't really orgasm the way I usually feel when I do it myself,
I still loved feeling his d inside!!!

I realized I genuinely like doing it with him, in a way I never thought I would. Like IM ALWAYS HUNGRYYYY FOR HIM 😘😝😆 We even have our own fmoments over sexy calls when we’re apart. 😘😆😆 As I’m writing this more... I’m already missing him. 😹

Looking back, just realizng that my previous relationship made me question myself for so long. I really thought something was wrong with me, when in reality we just weren’t compatible in that area.

Has anyone else had an ex who made you question yourself,?

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u/Low_Problem1988 — 1 day ago

My mom thinks living alone before marriage is pointless. Am I missing something?

I’m almost 29F and I’ve been living alone for about 3 years now. I work remotely and recently moved into a new apartment.

The thing is, my mom has never really understood why I chose to move out. I’ve explained to her multiple times that it helped me become more independent, responsible, and confident. I genuinely feel like I’ve grown so much from managing my own home and life.

But to her, it seems almost pointless.

She believes that a woman should only leave her parents’ house when she gets married or when “a man takes her.” In her eyes, living alone is just an unnecessary expense and not a smart decision.
I admit I don't have that much savings but I am surviving.

I think this comes from how she was raised. Maybe boomer thing???
My female cousins also didn’t move out until they got married. But even then, they moved straight into their husbands’ family homes, so they never really experienced living independently either.

Meanwhile, I don’t see living alone as something that’s only supposed to happen because of marriage. I see it as a valuable life experience on its own. It’s taught me how to budget, manage a household, solve problems by myself, and honestly just become comfortable standing on my own two feet.

My mom say things like:

“They got a car. Why don’t you want one?”
"Your cousins are already married. Why did you leave your last relationship when you were supposed to get married too?"

I’m wondering if this is just a generational thing or a cultural thing. Did anyone else have parents who couldn’t understand why you’d choose to live independently before marriage? Were you ever able to help them see your perspective??

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u/Low_Problem1988 — 3 days ago

Has anyone had a fortune reading that actually came true?

I’m almost 29F. Do you guys believe in palm readings or fortune tellers?

Twice in my life, two different strangers randomly read my palm. I never paid either of them. One approached me while I was at a park, and the other happened in a completely different place years later.

Oddly enough, they both told me almost the exact same thing.

They said that when I'm close to 30, I’d have two choices when it came to love. Both men would be good people. The second palm reader even told me that the second man would be the one I’d end up choosing.

At the time, I laughed it off.
I was already in a long-distance relationship that eventually lasted almost seven years. We were planning on getting married, so hearing I’d somehow have “two men” in my life didn’t make any sense.

My ex wasn’t a bad person. He helped me grow in many ways, and I genuinely believe he loved me the best way he knew how. But over time, the relationship became emotionally exhausting.

We had only spent around 3 months physically together throughout our entire relationship. We were both building our careers and trying to be financially stable, so I understood why things kept getting delayed.

But after years of waiting, it started to feel like I was putting my life on hold for a future that never seemed to arrive.

We also had incompatibilities that we never really worked through.. communication, conflict resolution, even our sex life. Lol Looking back, I think we both hoped love alone would carry us.

Eventually, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life and ended the relationship.

Ironically, neither of us really fought for it in the end. He’s avoidant, and I had simply reached the point where I had nothing left to give.

The breakup moved me!

I remember thinking, Did I really wait almost seven years for this?
I think my family and friends wondered the same thing. (I was 26–27, and around me, cousins and coworkers were getting married)

Before all of that, I’d always told myself I’d either marry him… or I’d grow old alone. There really wasn’t another option in my mind.

So after the breakup, I had to rebuild my life from scratch.
On the other hand, my ex had already built so much of the future we’d talked about. He had established his career and had even bought a house where we were supposed to settle down.

But I didn't go through with it.
I had told him so many times that I would’ve happily lived with him even if we were just renting a tiny apartment or moving from place to place. Deep down, I never needed a perfect plan... I just wanted to build a life together. But he never really heard me. He stuck to his own timeline, and I was just kept waiting for it.

So that's the end for us.

Then, I met my current boyfriend.

And everything feels different.

He’s openly affectionate. We actually communicate through disagreements instead of avoiding them/silent treatment. He listens to me, reassures me, and makes me feel emotionally safe in ways I honestly didn’t know were possible. 🥲
(I also grew up in a family where emotions weren’t really talked about, sothe relationship really felt completely new to me.)

Sometimes I joke that this is my first real serious relationship. 🤣 ykwim??

Ironically… it’s another long-distance relationship.

I know. 😂 Before anyone asks why I’d do that again, I’ve never really been an outgoing person. I wasn’t the type to go to parties or meet lots of people. My hobbies have always been online gaming, reading, and baking.

But this relationship feels completely different.

It doesn’t feel like I’m endlessly waiting for someone. It feels like we’re building a life together.

My current boyfriend flew to see me after only 2 months of talking, and we’ll be seeing each other again soon. :)

Sometimes I still think about those two palm readings.

I’m someone who leans more toward logic than destiny, so I still don’t know if I actually believe in palm readings.

But I do think it’s funny how, years later, their words somehow mirrored the way my life unfolded.

Maybe it was coincidence. Maybe it wasn’t.

Either way, I’m grateful that I found the courage to walk away, and I’m incredibly grateful that I met my current boyfriend.

Maybe I’ll come back to this post a few years from now and let you all know how everything turned out.

Hopefully it’ll be a happy update!

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u/Low_Problem1988 — 4 days ago
▲ 1 r/helicopterparents+1 crossposts

Should I move back in with my parents

Hi! I’m 28F and I’ve been living alone for over 3 years while working remotely.

I just moved into a new (bigger) apartment and now I have to decide whether to sign a 2-year internet contract. The catch is that if I terminate the service before the contract ends, I’d have to pay for the remaining months.

Financially, things are a bit tight. My take-home pay is around ₱18k/month. My monthly expenses will be roughly:

Rent: ₱10k
Internet: ₱1.5k
Electricity & water: ~₱1.5k

So after my fixed expenses, there isn’t much left.

The thing is… I genuinely love living on my own. I don’t want to move back in with my parents. But signing a 2-year contract is making me anxious because I keep thinking, “What if I can’t afford to stay? What if something changes and I have to move?”

At the same time, moving back home would probably let me save a lot of money over the next couple of years. I already own a small lot, and those savings could help me start building a house too.

But emotionally, I’m struggling with the idea. I’ll be turning 29 in a few months, and moving back in with my parents feels a little humiliating.

To add some context, one of my sisters pays for most of the household expenses, and my brother is unemployed and not in school. The house is also a bit chaotic and messy, which was one of the reasons I moved out in the first place.

I know no one can predict the future, but has anyone else dealt with this kind of uncertainty? How did you decide between protecting your finances and keeping the independence you loved?

I guess I’m just scared, and I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve been in a similar situation.

I am also actively looking for another remote job but it's taking time too. 🥲

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u/Low_Problem1988 — 5 days ago