I am completely, unromantically pragmatic about this.
My wife and I started dating young. I was 16, she was 17. We never said, “Ooh we’ll get married someday.” Instead, we focused on accomplishing things together. Graduate high school, graduate college, save for a house…then we decided to get married. Not because our hearts told us to (because if I listened to that, I would have married her at 18), but because it was the next logical thing to do.
Additionally, in the 9-years we dated, we went through a lot of crap together. Not just relationship stuff but career, money, family, death, and hospital stuff.
My advice for anyone is:
• Focus on your personal goals first, even if you accomplish them together.
• Be each other’s best friend.
• Get through some hard times together too.
If all that works out, and you still want to marry that person — do it.