A year ago my 30th birthday was rapidly approaching and I faced it with nothing short of fear; fear that things would have to change because 30 is grown up and I was not.
Well here I am now, nearly a year on and having survived the year (almost), I’m here to tell you that 30 is nothing to be scared of.
I’ve learned quite a lot in the last year about the myths and truths that surround the move from being a 20-something to a 30-something. Let me share a few with you and please do comment if you have any others you wish to add!
Things I’ve learned about being 30:
- You have a bit more money than you did when you were 20
- If you don’t, it’s likely you’re doing something you enjoy more than you did when you were 20
- You’re well into all of the age brackets you need to be in to enjoy life, whether that be legal drinking age or cheaper car insurance age – you’re there
- The number at the beginning of your age has changed, it’s very likely your mentality remains the same as it did at 29
- It’s ok to still not know what you want to do for a living
- Just a bit scarier to think about how many years you’ve been in this state
- Marriage is not obligatory
- Children are not obligatory
- Spending too much money in Primark is still ok
- Wearing Primark clothes is still ok
- Owning more pairs of shoes than you can fit in your wardrobe is practically law; you’ve had many years to collect them
- Getting wildly drunk is still ok; chances are your drinks will taste better though as you’re more likely to be in a nice bar
- Life does not start at 30; it started when you were born and you still have to make an effort to live the life you want
- You’ll probably spend more time inspecting your face for wrinkles than you did in your 20’s
- You may be fatter than you were a few years ago
- I’ve found a great solution to that is buying bigger clothes; I can do that because I’m now a rich (er) 30 year old
- The friends who are still by your side are probably the ones you’ll be swapping dentures with in your 80’s
The main thing I’ve learned is that there’s no need to fear turning 30 because you really do get to maintain control of your life. The world is changing and no longer are you expected to have hit certain milestones by a certain age; we’re really the first generation to experience the full freedom of that shift. Embrace it, continue to be yourself and your 30’s will be whatever you want them to be. That’s something I didn’t understand at 20, but I wish I had.
Happy ageing, fair folk! x
30 Something Dreamer 