NEXT: An Explanation on Societal Norms in Your Late 20s/Early 30s

Why do I always have to be "next?"  This weekend I went to/planned/half-threw a baby shower for my non-blood (or marriage) related sister.  I love welcoming new life into the world with cake, diapers full of melted chocolate, bingo games and gifts.  Yet the older I get, the more common it is that everyone else at the party has a child or is pregnant with one.  I am not.  I'm not there yet in my life.  I am absolutely happy about this.  I don't feel prepared for this yet.  I don't want this yet.  Or maybe ever...

Date Me?

It has been about 16 months since I went on a proper date.  You read that right.  Just shy of a year and a half ago I went on my last date to...er...date.  Sure, this could be the start of a heartwarming love story about how I fell in love with that boy, we spent the rest of our days playing games, watching the ocean ebb and flow and talking about intellectual mumbo-jumbo, but that'd be a lie.  Why I haven't been on a date since isn't really the topic at hand here...yet.  So let's talk about dating.