Blogocentric Formulations

30 Years Old

It's hard to believe I've officially been on this planet for three decades. The first one is admittedly a little hazy; the last two are certainly more memorable, but places that I'm definitely ready to leave behind. The twenties, at least for me, were tough. I'd imagined they'd be carefree and fun; finally free of my parents' rules, out of school and earning my own money, and ready to make a name for myself in the world.

Of course, along with it comes paying your own bills, solving your own problems, and making your own mistakes. It's a tough economy to just get by, let alone ascend the ranks of the professional world and make a name for oneself. Salaries are down while costs are up, and even making ends meet is often a struggle these days. I finally had to admit to myself (at about 11:55pm the night before my birthday because I'm an eternal optimist and a big fan of the Hail Mary play) that I'm not going to be able to retire as a multimillionaire by the time I'm 30.

The twenties were the decade where I got married... but also where I had to deal with the drama of a wedding. The decade where I got my first full-time paycheck at a job... but also had to pay rent and utilities. The decade where I can choose where I live and what I do... but also had to admit that sacrifices have to be made if you want to make ends meet.

I'm actually looking forward to my thirties. The decade where I have a solid resume of work experience that (hopefully) allows me to grow in a job that doesn't involve answering phones, making copies, or filing all day. The decade where my wife and I have the money to live in a decent place and still save up to one day have a house. The decade where we hopefully start a family. The decade where we can travel more, and not worry quite so often about whether we can afford to pay the bills, or fix the car when its brake pads need to be replaced.

There are a lot of things that were good about the twenties. But I think there will be a lot of things that are good about my thirties as well. I'm ready for a change.