patience and my vocation

a vocation is a calling by God, leading one to live her or his life as perfectly planned by God. so as a man, there are several possibilities. I will either marry, enter the religious life, or remain single. i cant ever imaging remaining single outside of the context of religious life, so i wont discuss it here. i just recently was able for the first time to envision myself as a priest. and to be good at it. or to feel comfortable with that vocation. after successfully imagining the possibility, i feel that i am more open to it, should i feel called. and that is where im leaving that option. ive decided not to stress over it. i can pray about it, but i wont rack my heart about whether i should make a decision. if i am called to be a priest, i'll know. the graduating seniors from sluh that are entering the seminary talked about the persistent nudging that God was using to call them. the nudging that they were resisting and then finally gave into. it sounds like i'll realize clearly if God is calling me. so not until that happens will i continue to think about that option. i said before religious life, but i cant see myself as a monk. i dont agree with the monastic lifestyle because it removes the person from society, almost selfishly abandoning society instead of working to bring God more fully into that society. i am also considering the vocation of deacon. especially the variety that is allowed to marry. because obviously my preference is still to marry. and here is where patience comes in. and why patience is in the title of this blog. and why its the word i need to keep reciting to myself. its not that i would like to get married tomorrow. its that i would like to have a romantic relationship tomorrow. and for most of society, that is obviously accepted and practiced. but that hasnt always been the case. if you think back before the 1960s (or maybe earlier) their wasnt any such thing as dating. only courtship. in which the aim is marriage. and this is the problem of today. and my problem. any romantic relationship at my age would be starting something that i cant finish. not for a long long time. sure in three months (and 5 days), i could legally marry, but im talking practically. the practicality that says that i have at least 5 more years of school ahead of me, that i dont have a job, that i still have more growing up to do. so thats why i need to have patience. to be able to appreciate the season of singlehood that im currently called to. its in this season that i A)fully mature and 2)focus completely my attention on serving God. these are both goals to which i should redirect the romantic energy currently bottled up inside of me. so with the situation analyzed as such, my only problem is struggling with infatuation-causing hormones. which with God's strength, i should be able to be successful at, most of the time. because i think i can trust God to be guiding me to the vocation in which i will be happiest. and in marriage, to bring me to the woman for me. honestly, its a very difficult stage in my life, to feel like im just waiting around until im finally ready to consider marriage, and having to constantly guard myself against the temptation of intimacy without commitment. this is the most imminent problem im facing right now. how can one stop having a romantic interest in another person in order to try to grow in a friendship that isnt distracted by such feelings?
i'll be praying about this. i would be grateful for your prayers as well.