by Foo Meng Yee

14 Feb 2026 marked my fifth Valentine's celebration with my husband as a couple, and two plus years of marriage. During a simple Korean dinner that evening - after a spectacular Cirque Du Soleil performance he'd surprised me with - I remarked with bemusement that we've now been married longer than we'd been dating. Funnily, dating felt longer. In this post, I want to share the (possibly) unconventional approach I took in my late 20s towards settling down. It is a topic I’ve always meant to discuss because of the weight I accord to marriage, the long journey of self-discovery I took, and the pressures I know are felt by others - particularly at milestone ages where the expectation to start a nuclear family is strong. My hope is to shed light on one approach, my learnings, and let anyone struggling with this weighty decision know that you’re not alone. I hope you find the courage to pursue what is important to you, be it marriage or something else. (Pictured below: Pre-...