Turning 30 - What a strange age!!

Peater

The only real pang of 'wow, 30' I got was the other day (I turned 30 a few months ago) when i realised that my next significant b'day was 40!

Anyway, as for the day itself. I was away on a cycling holiday up a mountain in Africa with a group of strangers, a few of which are now good friends. It was a great occasion (I managed to keep it to myself until dinner).

A major thing for me on this trip was that I was the youngest by quite a way. There were people in 30's,40's,50's & even 60's, all fit as fleas and enjoying themselves. You don't have to resign yourself to the scrapheap!

6feet

I remember 30 being quite traumatic as well!! 40 was ok but I turned 45 this year and I have been really struggling with that one...

ambyence

Interesting thread with many insightful replies

I'm 32, and fine with my new "tiger stripe" that I first noticed the other week (I'm ginger, so I'm going white instead of grey!).
Turning 30 made me feel a bit old, but it was because I was comparing myself to others, not my own hopes and dreams.

If life had gone just a slightly different way, by now I'd be living on a chicken farm on the outskirts of nowhere, barefoot and pregnant, resentfully shackled to an Aga, with at least four or five kids, and bored out of my tiny little mind!

When I turned 30, I spent about two hours feeling sad, and then realised in all likelihood I'd probably be OK at some point, and was lucky to have my health (had some pretty bad physical & mental problems over the last five years but I'm feeling much better now so lots to be grateful for).

On the other hand, my husband (I never wanted to get married by the way, but he was so damn persuasive!) turned 30 in March, and had a complete meltdown, although more due to family issues than his own milestone.
I know someone else who went completely AWOL over the weekend of his 30th. Luckily, he came back to his wife and children, who have almost forgiven him now, 20 years later.

I've noticed that friends who set themselves deadlines to get that dream job, get married, have kids, blah blah, by 25/27/whenever, don't seem as happy as those who just let life do its thing.

I still catch myself thinking, "Why don't I have X or Y's life?", but as Y recently revealed her own envy of some local friends, who were hoping to buy a new home in the same village for about £900K+ (Y & Y's husband bought a £350K house in an idyllic village in Oxfordshire, earn £80K+ year combined, plus are blessed with a beautiful 18 month old son), I just smiled and nodded. It's all relative in the end

I love my cheap flat on the Isle of Wight. My husband & I put up with each other (mostly). We're a 2-minute walk from the beach & he's my lobster. Maybe we're comparatively poor, & not in the greatest health, and can be envious of others sometimes, but life isn't really that bad.

Most importantly,as another poster mentioned earlier, we don't all get to be 30, or even close. This video confirms it all (RIP Stephen):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEbxN8GHQUc

thorsoak

I'm not looking forward to my next birthday - I'll be 71 But I do still enjoy going out - concerts etc at 02 - have already got tickets for Elton John at the end of June - and I don't see me joining the over 70s clubs yet!

Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional!

Enjoy your 20s, 30s, 40s whilst you can! :-D

Kabazzzz

Tweeps wrote: »

I've still got a couple of years to go before i hit 30 but cant wait to turn it, maybe then i'll stop getting ID'd every time i go out for a drink :rotfl:

Well I'm 34... and got ID'd a fortnight ago whilst buying some lager in the supermarket!!


I'd text my mates before I'd even left the building :rotfl:


Most of my mates are in long term relationships or married and having kids... I did it the wrong way around!


Luckily my best mate entered singledom around the same time as me after us both being in very long term relationships... we socialise mostly together but our wider circle ranges from ages 21-27... it just takes us longer to recover!


Turning 35 however...

southoftheriver

I'm 30 this year and I have mixed feelings about it. Like lots of people I thought i'd have it sorted by now. The house, the babies and the picket fence to match. But when I look at myself as a teenager I realise how far i've come. I was desperately unhappy and sometimes didn't see how I could make it through another day. I would never want to be a teenager again, and the older I get the happier I become.

I'm currently making my way through a list of things I want to do before i'm 30. I'm starting to realise I won't get it all done but so what? It's good fun.

Unfortunately i've also lost friends who will never see 30, and I am trying to learning to focus on what I have, rather than what I don't. So bring on being 30.