Long term dating no marriage

How to Date When You Don’t Want to Get Married

This article originally appeared on Slutever. When you're in a serious, long-term relationship, the terms "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" can begin to feel a bit juvenile, or at least insufficient for describing your level of commitment. But what do you call the person you share a life with when you're not married, and don't necessarily want to be? About two years ago, at a bar, a guy friend introduced me to somebody as "Pete's girlfriend, Erika," and then, "No, more than his girlfriend. Several drinks later I felt sort of touched by the whole exchange. This guy had realized something I hadn't: The terms boyfriend and girlfriend don't accurately describe our long-term, committed, but unwedded relationship. Since then, I've become increasingly uncomfortable with the words. I am a woman, not a girl. He is a man, not a boy. And apart from feeling age-inappropriate, we've lived together for years.

REGISTER TO VIEW

Y ears ago, I thought of myself as someone who would probably never get married. I dated a lot, slept around, and always had an exit strategy. In fact, it feels damn good! The truth is, while I did a lot of work on myself, a lot of it was just looking for a good partner. I get hundreds of emails each year from people struggling in their relationships. And a lot of those people are either engaged or thinking about getting married. The first checklist is the BAD reasons people get married.

REGISTER TO VIEW

For some reason, there is this social norm involving marriage. After you've been dating for an extended period of time or a few weeks, if you're some celebrities , gotten to know a person and maybe moved in with them, the next step is to marry your significant other. I've known my girlfriend for seven years now, and we've been dating for six. That's like a lifetime for two somethings living in New York City with over a million other somethings bursting with sexual energy. But despite the fast-pace lifestyle of the big city, the temptations surrounding us and the pressures from relatives and society Sure, there are some nice things about being married, but there are some great things about not being married.

REGISTER TO VIEW

Why couples are choosing cohabitation over marriage

She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology. When it comes to relationships and our long-term goals or expectations, not everyone is the same. Some people want to take things slow and see where they go, some know they only want something short-term, and others jump into a relationship with marriage on their minds.

REGISTER TO VIEW

REGISTER TO VIEW