The big three-oh. The “Where the hell did my life go and why don’t I have a house/functional marriage/2.5 kids/dog/more money in my 401k/etc?!?!” birthday.
I’ve been quite sad all day, slowly waving goodbye to my 20’s and checking my makeup mirror obsessively for signs of aging.
I know I’m not the first person to get here. Lots of people are VERY HAPPY in their 30’s, right? Right???
Help me out, guys. What is entering your 30’s really like?
I would love “It’s awesome!” stories, but I’ll gladly accept the good, bad and the ugly alike.
It is not the end of the world, says the guy who is looking at 40 in January. I loved my 20s. The good news is that you’ll probably make more and be able to enjoy more things as you get older. My 20s were great, but I’ll take my salary in my 30s and the ability to be able to enjoy more things.
I wish I could tell you that it wasn’t so bad, but 30 was a rough one for me. I’m 38 now, and I remember feeling very much like you do right now. I remember that the quote “Never trust anyone over 30” kept running through my head, and I really felt like I was experiencing a rite of passage of sorts. I also became re-obsessed with the poem “Spring and Fall to a Young Child” by Gerard Manley Hopkins, which is about coming to terms with your own mortality.
As you might have guessed, this was not a good few days.
My advice is to just accept that this one might be hard for you, and it’s OK to spend some time with self-reflection and taking stock. It’s OK to feel a little sad on days like your 30th birthday. I can say that 35 was a breeze after that.
I turned 30 over a year and a half ago. I was more upset about it than I expected to be, but the 30s have turned out to be great! I actually heard all along that the 30s were supposed to be your best decade, and part of the dismay was that my life still wasn’t that great on the eve of my 30th birthday. “Is this what the best decade of my life will be like?” I thought. I tried to tell myself it wasn’t like some magic switch was supposed to be flipped at midnight on my birthday - I had a whole ten years to have a good decade. But then…
Several months in, I realized that a magic switch had been flipped! Since I turned 30, I’ve generally felt happier, calmer, more secure, more optimistic. I feel like a real adult now. None of those nagging feelings that I somehow flunked adolescence and should never have been allowed to turn 21. Plus, It’s like going from junior high to high school, only in reverse - I went from being one of the oldest, least hip 20-somethings I knew to being one of the youngest, coolest 30-somethings I know!
Dear God, enjoy those 30s. I’d love to be starting that decade again and not be so up against the old biological clock (I’m almost 4a.) Also, your body is still at that point where you can actuallly do something about any problem areas and it will still most likely respond pretty well. Something about 40 just made my body go, uh, uh…these pounds are going away without a huge struggle.
The salaries get better in your 30’s.
People stop generally calling you young man/woman. [ouch]
You made it!
The salaries get better in your 30’s. [ :smack: ]
I turned 30 last year and, frankly, I wish I’d just died then because every day since has been pure hell.
Just kidding, the 30’s have, so far, felt almost exactly like the 20’s to me.
However, I could also logically say my 25-35 decade was better than my 15-25 decade, or that Year 28 was better than Year 29. All things considered, my total set of Octobers have been more fun than my Aprils. All these distinctions are stupid and pointless.
What you really need to do is go do something and stop worrying about the fact that we use a base-10 numbering system.
Have a great birthday, treat yourself, and go get busy doing stuff.
It’s only as bad as you make it out to be. Live your life richly. Love dearly. Be the change you want to see in people. Plan now for your future, but live each day to the fullest. Believe me, if you do those things, your chronological age just becomes a number on a page, and nothing more.
My 30’s, at least early- to mid-30’s, were absolutely wonderful. I had my second son at 31 and my life situation was wonderful. My 40’s, not so good, but it had nothing to do with my age. I am now 49, looking at 50 in February, and I think it will be my best decade ever.
My middle daughter turned 30 last week. She was freaked out about it beforehand. The day came and went, and she realized that nothing had changed. Except there was cake and presents. Her sisters were horrid to her in the presents category, tho. They got her used Granny Pants™ from Goodwill and wrinkle/hemorrhoid creams from the Dollar Store as gag gifts.
I can only say have a wonderful Birthday tomorrow; with many more to come. It’s a rite of passage to have to ask for assistance in blowing out the candles on your cake. Congratulations on making it this far!
