I'm a 33-year-old virgin and have never even been on date - there's nothing wrong with being a late bloomer

At 33, Lauren Harkins has ne'er been connected a day aliases had activity - but insists she hasn't missed retired connected immoderate important life experiences and is contented connected her own.

While her friends were having their first crushes and navigating their measurement done their first relationships, Lauren recovered herself disinterested - viewing them arsenic 'juvenile' and 'overly complicated.'

Deciding striking up a romance wasn't for her, Lauren, from Portland, Maine, admits she's ne'er felt nan request to prioritize having a romanticist relationships successful her life, and truthful has remained a virgin.

'I'm a virgin but I'm not a traditional, usually it's 1 aliases nan different but I'm conscionable very contented connected my own,' she continued, describing it arsenic a 'unique situation.'

'The 20s is specified a confusing time, everyone is figuring retired careers and navigating each this worldly - it conscionable wasn't thing I wanted,' she added. 

After her father, William Stacey, died successful 2006, Lauren said it changed nan measurement she prioritized her romanticist relationships.

As an only child, Lauren said she's contented being by herself and believes having a partner is 'not necessary' to lead a fulfilling life. 

'When I looked astir location was nary 1 who I was friends pinch and successful a narration whose life I wanted to emulate and I was rather happy to conscionable do my ain thing,' she explained.

'I've ne'er looked to others arsenic a marker for really my life is going to play retired but person alternatively chosen to travel my ain intuition connected what is champion for maine astatine immoderate fixed time,' she mused.

Now successful her 30s, Lauren says she's yet unfastened to a narration - provided she meets nan correct person, admitting it's nan first clip ever she's felt ready.

'If personification comes on who I really click pinch past I would beryllium happy pinch that, but different I'm very happy being connected my own,' she said determinedly. 

However, she has immoderate standards for nan type of partner she's looking for.

'I would want personification who is measurement much established than I americium – I would only want to beryllium personification who is amended than maine successful each way!' Lauren said enthusiastically. 

'I don't want to unrecorded a accepted lifestyle,' she continued. 

'I americium very extremity orientated, emotionally independent, and emotion my state – I conscionable want to unrecorded life to nan fullest.' 

Lauren is embracing trying caller things, and is now walking nan world aft moving successful a correctional rule enforcement for 2 years, surviving chiefly disconnected her precocious dad's spot fund. 

'I emotion adventures and trying caller things,' she gushed. 'I emotion immersing myself successful caller cultures.'

The world traveler - who documents her escapade connected societal media - has been to Morocco, Peru, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, France, Germany and nan Netherlands.

While her family and friends person ne'er pressured her to date, Lauren admitted they person problem knowing why she doesn't want to person sex.

'Most group who are still virgins astatine my property prevention themselves for a hubby and are often religious,' she pointed out.

'I don't subscribe to immoderate peculiar belief astatine each but because I'm not sleeping astir and surviving ace modern feminist lifestyle, that campy besides doesn't cognize what to do pinch me,' Lauren explained.

'It's for illustration I'm excessively accepted for nan feminists but not accepted capable for nan accepted group – truthful I americium trying to break that barrier,' she added.

She says she maintains her precocious standards erstwhile it comes to uncovering a partner and encourages group to do nan same.

'I person hundreds of messages from group successful akin situations, truthful I consciousness for illustration I'm helping people,' she said, adding she's 'quite normal' contempt her unsocial lifestyle.

'I americium of sound mind and body, I'm not socially awkward aliases repressed,' she listed.

'I deliberation it's important to destigmatize this lifestyle, I'm conscionable a precocious bloomer – it doesn't mean location is thing incorrect pinch me,' she said,