Thoughts on Marriage
"You're married?!?" I came back recently from a solo travel adventure. This was the response I got during my trip whenever anyone discovered that I am married. Often, it was followed by other questions: Are you separated? Why isn't he (even when I didn't specify my partner's gender) here with you? The incredulity and questions came from people of all genders, nationalities, marital statuses, income levels, personal backgrounds, etc. It appears that societal norms on marriage are among those rare beliefs that bridge national boundaries, cultures and socioeconomic statuses alike. This phenomenon confused me at first and then increasingly troubled me. It was already surprising for a lot of people to discover I was traveling alone (another post on this later; hint: this response DOES vary substantially with demographics), though plenty of people thankfully found it unremarkable. But the fact that I was traveling alone when I was actually married was too much fo
