Society, Marriage and Women

This use to be an easy answer. Society told women we only had one acceptable pathway in life. It was to meet a man, get married, have kids and be a housewife. Granted, society has changed its view of a woman's place in the world. Women are allegedly equal in society. We can do whatever or whomever we want but with this freedom I can't help but feel that it comes with a price. I am a single woman who has never married. I literally have all the freedom in the world. I travel with my friends, attend social events, and date. For a long time I never thought I would be the girl to just settle down. I hate that phrase "settle down". To me it just sounds like after you've been dating someone for awhile you just "settle" for a life with them. I'm sorry, but I don't want to settle.
I come from a very traditional family. I am harassed at every family social event that I attend about why I don't have an engagement ring. Hey, newsflash, I would love a big diamond ring. Lets be honest, who doesn't. But I don't want to just marry someone just so I can get a ring. I really want to be in love with the person that I promise to spend the rest of my life with. Also, the wedding business is a big money maker. So of course we will be bombarded with all the hoopla of it all. As I continue to "buck" the traditional pathway in life it doesn't come without reasoning. For now, I will keep those reasons to myself. I do want to fall in love, get married and have a family but I want to do it on my own time, on my own terms. And you know what, that's ok.