My partner and I don't want to get married, but sometimes, if we're traveling or there's a health emergency, it's easier to let people assume we are

My partner and I don't want to get married, but sometimes, if we're traveling or there's a health emergency, it's easier to let people assume we are

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In Sweden, where my father's family is from, there is a concept called sambo. It is a word that means, loosely, partner, but more specifically it means to live or be together before or, importantly, instead of marriage. In Scandinavian culture, this is a very typical lifestyle choice. It's so usual, so mundane, there's a neat word just to describe it. Its definition is a sign that there's no need for superfluous explanation or justification of a decision to simply be together without the legality.

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