There have been a lot of articles written and parodies
scripted recently about being 30…From the Taylor Swift “22” parody, OliviaWilde’s manifesto or the You Tube clip comparing girls in their 20s to their
30s…I can’t help but feel that I can relate.
That or I have just started paying more attention.
I am prominently in my thirties; and whether it is the age,
the married life or some other unknown, here are a few changes and observations
about my current age bracket:
The biggest area of change relates to my wardrobe. Getting dressed in the morning, and for that
matter, getting dressed for a night out, has been significantly
“streamlined.” The daily routine that
used to include trying on everything in the closet to find “that perfect look
that would make me look just right” now consists of me grabbing the most
comfortable cloths I can find that are semi-clean and can pass for work and/or
bar appropriate. As I write-this, I am
wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, puffy vest and toms shoes on my way into
work. If I was completely honest, most
days I look like a middle age woman who has just given up; on good days, I
might be worthy of an LL Bean catalog spread. My favorite loafers and oversized
sweater would make my twenty-year old self cringe. Now, my thirty year old self gets goose
bumps just looking at the skin tight tops and extra short skirts today’s twenty
year olds wear out in the middle of winter like it was spring break.
While I have seen a decrease in time spent in front of the
mirror getting dressed, I have seen a similar increase in time on my beauty
routine. What used to take a tinted
moisturize and some mascara now requires the equivalent of spackle, primer,
base coat and top coat. My daily beauty
routine is the equivalent of painting the Mona Lisa just to get back the
baseline youthful glow.
My preference of a crazy Friday night has changed
considerably as well. I remember
standing in a crowded bar in my late twenties having the time of my life and
feeling sorry for the middle aged LL Bean models for their sad night of
drinking wine in the corner and looking generally pissed off at the loud music
and lack of attention from men. But ah,
the insights gained in just a few years are invaluable. I am now that woman sitting in the corner catching
up with friends, feeling sorry for the young girls with too much makeup, not
enough clothing, having to suck in their beer guts while attempting to attract
a guy to buy the next round…were they even having fun or was that all a ploy to
fill the massive gap in their lives of being single and having to try each and
every night. Silly twenty year olds!
As a disclaimer, I still every once in a while get dressed
up and pretend like I still “got it” but deep down I am dreaming of my
sweatpants, the couch, bottle of wine and some soft cheese… and thankful I have
the choice.
With my wardrobe looking shabby and most evenings spent
moisturizing my face, at least my finances are in order. I have not one or two but multiple lawyers
and financial advisers that I can turn to in need. In the past year I have engaged with a
property lawyer, immigration lawyer and estate planner/tax lawyer. And even better I have two close friends that
I actually trust as financial advisers.
In contrast, in my twenties, I tried to avoid the need for a lawyer (aka
cops and jail time) and financial advice was given on a barstool and typically
consisted of “is it more economical to have two beers for the price of one or
one strong cocktail?”
Like fine wine and stinky cheese, my taste buds have also
matured with age. My dinners use to
consistent of whatever bar had the best happy hour: $2 coronas and $1 tacos, yes please! Free pizza with a beer and shot of Jameson… dinner
is on me! But these days, with the
weight gain and heartburn inevitable, I at least want my food to be worth the
extra hours at the gym. I now spend more
on good food than alcohol, clothing and entertainment combined (which I guess
isn’t that hard given my new wardrobe and the frequency of big nights
out). This crazy food revelation that
everyone is talking about…I am sure no one in their twenties knows or cares
about it…and the ones that are talking about it are all in their thirties who
have finally realized that Taco Bell at 1am is not fine dining. Apparently, good food has always been in
style and available. My generation has
just finally wised up and stopped accepting anything less.
And more than anything else, I think the biggest change
isn’t the wardrobe, fiscal responsibility or social calendar, but rather that life
seems somehow less simple, albeit more stable and rewarding. That big project at work: back then, I had
someone to review everything I did to make sure it was right; I am now that
person (and I actually know what I am doing)…getting together with friends last
minute on a Tuesday night in your twenties was not a problem (the alternative
was sitting at home doing laundry); now it takes a minor miracle to coordinate
schedules, babysitters, travels, etc (but the quality of those get togethers is
exponentially greater)…and a late night stop at pizza after three pitchers of
beer, sure not a problem! Back then, there were no consequences…now it takes
weeks at the gym and includes a night of heartburn and a three day hangover –
no thanks, just get me a glass of merlot (my arteries and liver are thankful to
have made it this far).
From thirty three and looking back at my twenties, I would say
it has been one crazy ride and I wouldn’t change it for the world!... I can
only imagine the insights I will have gained by 40!
