I wore a fake engagement ring for a week and realized I'm not ready to get married

• I wore a fake engagement ring for a week on a trip to Ireland. 
• I was surprised by how often I looked down at my finger and felt the urge to show off my ring. 
• The experience made me think about the person I want to be with and if I'm emotionally ready to wed.

I love weddings. In fact, I already have mine planned — actually two. And although I'm not getting married anytime soon, I was excited for the opportunity to get a sneak peek at what wearing an engagement ring might be like.

But when I flaunted a fake diamond for a week, the results were seriously surprising.

This article was originally published in February 2019. 

Selecting the ring was easy

I randomly received a faux engagement ring as a party favor once — a round solitaire that looked realistic enough — so I figured it would be the perfect prop for my assignment.

I was able to keep my 'engagement' a secret because I was headed on a vacation

As luck would have it, I happened to be on a trip to Ireland when I carried out my experiment.

Thankfully, that saved my single self from having to awkwardly explain to friends and colleagues how I managed to get engaged overnight, or worse yet, having to create an elaborate backstory.

I did, however, have to come clean to my travel buddy who was both amused and overly excited.

I could not stop staring at my ring

From the minute I put the ring on that first day, I could not stop glancing at my left hand.

I kept checking to make sure the ring was properly positioned, took it off when I washed my hands, and was careful not to get it caught on anything that might damage it. 

I tried to follow the proper ring-showing protocol

Believe it or not, there are guidelines to properly displaying your ring in public.

When showing off your rock, it's impolite to simply thrust it toward someone — instead, you should hold your left hand with your right palm facing your chest, so the person can get a good view or reach for your hand if they wish.

And if you want to subtly draw attention to the ring, you need to keep your fingers on display. I found myself using my left hand more than usual and making exaggerated motions excessively throughout the week.

I was absolutely obsessed with my nails

To be fair, I am generally always like this. Ever since a doctor encouraged me to get a manicure years ago to help me to stop biting them, I have been pretty fastidious about keeping my nails in pristine condition.

But this week, I was doing the absolute most because of the ring. I chose a glossy earth tone as an ode to Ireland and kept cuticle oil on hand for maximum shine.

I struggled to come up with an idea of the person I wanted to marry

The moment of truth finally came when a waitress commented on how gorgeous my ring was and asked about the "lucky guy."

Blushing furiously, I opened my mouth to say … nothing. I had avoided thinking about my fake fiancé too much, deciding to just go with whatever description came to mind when put on the spot. But it dawned on me that I had no clue what type of man I even wanted to marry.

Sure, he should be kind, loyal, trustworthy, and attractive, but these were pretty generic traits. I needed to learn what parts of a person spoke to my soul, and at that moment, my mind went blank.

At one point, I totally forgot I was 'engaged'

As the week went on, I finally got over the novelty of the attention and started forgetting about the ring.

At first, I took the accessory off for pictures to avoid having to explain to family and friends why I was wearing an engagement ring, but I was well into yet another photo session at a tourist attraction before I remembered the rock on my finger. 

I guess the excitement of wearing an engagement ring does wear off after a while — I just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

I learned more than I expected

When I took on this assignment, I thought it would be a fun change of pace or even a good story to tell, but I got more than I bargained for.

For one, I will certainly think twice before joking about newly engaged people who seem to go out of their way to make their ring pop. I am by no means flashy, but even I couldn't help but keep my rock on display — and it was fake.

Also, I realized I probably need to put myself out there a bit more. It's OK to not know what I like, but I will never find out if I don't try a few options. And as much as I've thought of an amazing future wedding, I'm not emotionally ready for it yet.

But I do at least know a round solitaire looks brilliant on my finger.