"I care about what my family and close friends think of me but I have their support in whatever I choose to do with my life from here on out."

Congratulations, it sounds like you are in the perfect position to live life on your own terms. But with all the experiences you mention, I am curious as to why you still feel like you are doing "what others expect" instead of "what you want to do"? For example, getting married despite everyone's advice against it sounds more like an example of something you did for yourself before others ?