Being married can be a very exciting time in one’s life. However, there are certain things you start to miss after a while. Some include;
1. Eating whatever you want for dinner
When you are part of a couple, you often feel obligated to have a homemade dinner or order take-out for the both of you. Back when you were single, cheese, crackers, and a glass of wine was as a perfectly acceptable and delicious dinner for one—and there was no one around to judge.
“A silly thing I miss is being able to eat whatever I want whenever I want it. When I was single, if I decided to skip dinner and have ice cream instead, no one was there to judge. Being married, I feel a bit more like I have to act like an adult,” says Sara Stanisz, founder of couples lifestyle blog Our Kind of Crazy.
2. Coming and going as you please
For single people, a Sunday morning stroll or a late-night run to the store is no big deal. You just run out of the house without having to let anyone know where you’re headed. But once you’re married, gone are the days where you were on your own time and had no one to answer to. “When you’re single, you can go wherever you want whenever you want and stay for as long as you want,” notes Darné. “You don’t have to take anyone’s feelings into consideration before making a choice.”
3. Sleeping alone
Honestly, nothing feels better than having the whole bed to yourself. But if you’re a married person who misses that feeling, all hope is not lost. There might be a solution, according to marriage therapist Christine Scott-Hudson, author of I Love Myself: Affirmations for a Happy Life.
“Does your partner snore like a grizzly bear? Do you steal all of the covers, then jump and kick like a Rockette? Are you feeling resentful that you aren’t getting the sleep you need, night after night? A ‘sleep divorce’ may be right for you and your partner,” says Scott-Hudson. So go ahead and sleep in separate beds, or even separate rooms. If it’s what makes you both happy, it could be worth it.
4. Staying out late
If your partner doesn’t like to stay out late, you may find yourself missing those wild nights (and early mornings) out on the town. “Friday nights were the best, when me and the boys went out to party without a care in the world,” says Pongyan. When you’re married, “you can’t afford to stay up all night every weekend because of your responsibilities and chores the next morning.”
5. Being able to focus on work without feeling guilty
Once you get married, your career isn’t the only thing demanding your time anymore. “I am a great poet who writes a lot—something that gives me the utmost happiness. Before I was married, I used to do this at my convenience and with a lot of attention. However, after being married, I am so limited in doing the same,” notes Stella Samuel, who’s been married for 12 years and counting. And if you want to have a better life at home and at the office, here are 40 Expert-Backed Ways to Have Better Work-Life Balance After 40.
6. Having alone time
Everywhere you turn, there they are. And as much as you love having a shoulder to lean on or a hand to hold, sometimes you just need to be alone, which proves challenging when you are living with your other half.
“I ended up marrying into a big family. They have so many family events and gatherings that it is exhausting … I think at least nine of my summer weekends were planned before May last year,” says Patrick Durkin, who’s been married for more than six years. “I miss having nothing to do sometimes.”
7. Not having to share food
When you order a side of fries, you want the whole thing to yourself. And when you open the pantry looking for a bag of chips to snack on only to find there are just crumbs left, you may yearn for a time when everything was all yours.
