Thursday, November 6, 2014

The Life of an Almost 30 Year Old

Halloween has just passed and my participation in this holiday made me laugh at how things have changed. My night of festivities started with Chinese takeout, worked it's way into watching Harry Potter, and ended with a very tired and happy me in bed by 11:00. This may make me sound like a total loser, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. You see, Hot Stuff had to work that evening so I had a few options. I could 1. Go hang out with my married/pregnant/have families friends or I could 2. Go out with my friends who were undoubtedly intoxicated and out all night dressed in some ironic costume. And not that I don't love both parties, but the thought of doing either was quite unappetizing. This event has made me think of signs that you may be entering the uncharted territory of a new decade.  You might be an almost 30 year old if...

You have your married friends...and your unmarried friends.
My friend has been married for three years and is a fabulous mother to two boys. I'm not sure if I make faces or funny comments, but lately she's been asking me if I'd prefer that my friends didn't have children. My response to this is, of course not! My married friends have made me an auntie and are still the loving, wonderful people that I've known for ages, just with the bonus of husbands and babies. But can I connect to breastfeeding woes or the trials of time out? Well, let's just say that I had to ask the two year old if I was changing his diaper correctly, ("Sure," was the response). Having friends that are married with families is different because you are not doing the same things anymore, your priorities change. I know I'm not to that stage in my life, but that doesn't mean that I don't support those who are.

Now let's scoot to the unmarried friends. These are the people you can call up more spontaneously for dinner or other happenings. You go out with them on Saturday nights, watch football with them on Sundays, and have a cocktail with them at happy hour. Now while I still love these friends, the trouble is that sometimes it feels like you're ready to move past some of these activities. I really am too old to be staying up into the wee hours of the morning, sometimes the couch is better than a bar, and some of those high heels will probably cause me to have back issues. So somehow, whether I intended to or not, I'm caught in between two very different groups of people and I'm not sure if I fit with either one...yep, I'm almost 30.

Your living arrangements are changing.
About two years ago I went through this phase where I was convinced that everything in my apartment was inadequate. All of the sudden I needed a new color scheme complete with eye-catching centerpieces to tie elements together. I was tired of my apartment looking like what it was- a place where hand-me-downs went to die. When you're in your early and mid 20s, you take whatever people give you because you'd rather buy shoes. But when you're nearly 30, you have to buy things for your apartment AND shoes.

Decor is not the only thing that you may change as you near the next decade. I'll take your color scheme and raise you a Hot Stuff. That's right, I know I'm much later to this than most, but I'll be moving in with my boyfriend at the end of the year. Talk about changing your living arrangements! And get this, we're getting furniture that does not have assembly directions created by a Swedish artist! Not only that, I've taken three carloads of junk to Goodwill already and will probably do three more, simply because I think he might reconsider dating me altogether if he really knew how much shit I can put into one closet. I also doubt that he'll understand that it's okay to own this many possessions if they were purchased on clearance. The scariest part of this moving ordeal has been telling my parents. The one clear response from both of them was, "Well, it's not like you're a kid. You're almost 30, you can make your own decisions." Now my parents called me old...gross.

You're suddenly very concerned about your health and aging.
I'm proud to say that I read my Glamour magazine cover to cover every month for the past 12 years. In almost every issue there is an article about how to take care of your skin, body, mind, etc. if you're in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. Reality hit me when I had to start reading the 30s column. Do you have any idea how many more things you have to do once you reach that column!?! I've added anti-aging products to my regimen because apparently now is the time to protect my skin from cracks and crevices, my body from heart disease, and my mind from chronic stress. I meditate, I started buying organic, and I have eye cream on my nightstand. Who am I?

No doubt the biggest change I've made as an almost 30 year old is that nine weeks ago I stopped eating sugar. It only takes five family members to get type 2 diabetes to scare the sweet tooth right out of you. Was it hard? No. It was f-ing horrible! But I feel better, I weigh less, and don't even crave it as much now. I guess what I'm saying is now I'm not trying to be healthy to be skinny, I'm trying to be healthy so someday I can run like the old lady on the neighboring treadmill today.

You're constantly wondering if you are in the right career.
 Oh man, I could probably write an entire thesis paper on this topic, but all I'm going to say is this:
1. My job makes me crazy and I'm trying to find a way to make it better and more rewarding both mentally and financially.
2. All signs are pointing to me continuing in this career but my mind is telling me it is ready for a change.
3. I'm thinking this might just be adulthood.
4. I don't understand how people do the same job for 30 years. Wait...I bet those people get raises and respect.
5. My teammate is the only reason I'm surviving. Oh, and sometimes my students, like when they pushed me down the hallway on a cart. I've got to find some ways to have fun, right?

Well, there you have it, the signs that you might be an almost 30 year old. Am I complaining? Not in the slightest. But hopefully there are others out there that can relate to this interesting time. Oh, and hopefully someone is planning me an epic 30th birthday bash.