Are you ever really ready to be a parent??

It's confusing to me that I've reached an age and point in my life where no one would be disappointed in me if I found out I was pregnant.  Even more confusing is the fact that people seem to expect me to become pregnant.  The other day someone I work with asked me if I was going to have children soon.  My only thought was "who asks that to someone they barely know??"  She then went on to imply that if I want children I should start trying soon.  Statistically I know that's true.  I know that female fertility begins to drop at age 27 (which I'll be in a few months) and there's a more drastic drop in fertility after age 35.  I'm aware of these drops in fertility... but I also know that they don't happen to all women.  More than that I can't comprehend how anyone could think that it is acceptable to imply that someone else is ready to start a family.  Whenever I go home (to the town I was raised in) there are always a few people who ask me when I'm going to start having babies.  Ugh, how can these people have such a complete lack of social skills?!  Not only do I find it rude to ask someone something so personal, but I think it's ridiculous to assume that everyone wants to have children.

While I know that I'd like children someday I can't imagine the idea of having children now.  I can't imagine anything but sadness for the life I haven't gotten to live.  I have so many things I want to do before I have kids.  I just don't get the whole "baby" thing.  I cannot imagine loving something that much.  Several years ago when a friend of mine was a few months pregnant she said, "it's it crazy that my baby is the size of a peanut and I already love him more than anything else in my life."  I can't imagine what that must be like... does that feeling just automatically occur when you find out you're going to be a parent?  Will there ever be a time when I don't dread having children but actually look forward to it??  If anyone has any thoughts I'd love to hear them.  I spend most of my days teaching people how to avoid unwanted pregnancies... but secretly the idea of a planned pregnancy almost seems just as scary to me!