After I decided to get married in game I started traveling back and forth between my house in Windhelm and my job as a thief in Riften. But i don't even feel like its a home, why can't I have a conversation with my wife/make friends and just chat?

Heres how a common conversation with my wife goes

"Hello"

Hello

"Did the store make any money?"

Of course love? Here you go

....

"Could you take me as a student of the temple?" (even though she doesn't even [censored] live in the temple anymore!)

You are nice to look at but the temple isn't taking students...

"Okay"

Leaving dear? Take the world by storm!

*Walks five feet away and polishes my salvaged Stormcloak helmets.*

Why can't you chat? Have dinner? Go the tavern and have a drink with friends? In the next game please!

Because half-assed feature is completely half-assed.

Because this is not The Sim 4

Because she wont can't even do that in real life.

Agree with the lack of substance with marriage, and NPC interaction in general. I'd like to be able to have longer discussions with NPCs, and for me to be able to give them gifts and have them actually recognize that.

There's a lot of improvement TES can make regarding NPC interactions.

Just out of curiosity, after you get married, does your spouse ever leave your home? It'd be interesting to see them go out to go out, talk to the NPCs, buy groceries, etc.

Mine doesn't, I think some do, they will go will you if they are a follower of course

They'll go out and cheat on you. Then when you catch them you could kill them both !