The social aspect also depends on a lot of things, like coworkers and living arrangements. Some people aged 30 have almost exactly college-style lifestyles: live in a group house, party daily, go into the office at 10 or 11am. I think one reason the view that it's hard to meet people post-college became common is that those kinds of lifestyles were not really seen, outside of some hippies and beatniks, until recently.
I can honestly say that every year since age 19 has been better than the previous one. 27-year-old me thought things were great. 30-year-old me would have laughed at him because clearly now things were truly going well. Then 33-year-old Jason with his laptop on the beach knew better than that. But he didn't know it all.
Things keep changing, but as you get older you have more control over where your life is headed. As long as you're always steering towards where you want to be, you'll find that things just keep getting better and better.
Enjoy the ride!
While my income has greatly increased in the last half a decade or so, so have my financial and human responsibilities.
My sympathies dude. I prescribe more of what you like and less of what you hate, if that's possible. I'm 41 too, and that's what works for me. That and trying not to think about it
so, good luck everyone.
Don't let this be true next year again bro.
I can function perfectly after having slept for just a few hours."
I'm 27 too but don't think this is reflective of most people our age. I don't get hungover often but my friends complain about it quite frequently. And I simply don't function without enough sleep so no partying till 10am, I can survive on 6 hours of sleep but prefer 8 for optimal effectiveness.
Then "once you hit the real world and have to get a real job that college metabolism of yours will shut down and you'll pack on the pounds like everybody else."
Then "just wait 'til you're 25 like me and your hair starts falling out".
Then "When 30 hits and you don't have any energy anymore then you'll understand"
... And so forth. But thus far none of it has ever happened. I think that people let themselves fall apart, then notice the date and assume that must be the reason. But if you don't wan't to have that happen, you can make a point of staying in good shape for a long time.
That said, I'm sure there's some new inevitable milestone waiting for me when I hit 44. It's definitely going to suck.
As for the OP, I applaud the author's attitude, even if I smile a bit at his surprise.
At a skosh over 27 * 2, I will leave you with Byron's words in a letter to Tom Moore: "Damn your nel mezzo camin--'the prime of one's life' is a much consoling expression."
I don't get people who are scared of hitting 30. Perhaps it is more for people who haven't settled down yet. The clock is ticking. For me I am not bothered.
> I can party until 10am and drink all night without getting a hangover (I would puke all the time when I was younger).
One of the few things that makes me sad. When I was young I consumed an epic amount of alcohol. Never got hungover. Woke up drunk a few times but it was fine.
Now alcohol makes me sleepy. 2 ciders gives me a headache. I rarely get past gentle buzz because I fear the consequences. I never drink after 8pm because I get the worst hangovers from fairly minor alcohol consumption.
If anything I am looking forward to 43. My kids will be 18. I can semi-retire from parenting and go traveling. I think I am one of the few people looking forward to my big 4-0.
I gave myself stomach problems when I was at Uni, partly from alcohol (although not much) and partly from not reading the label on an ibuprofen bottle.
Now I can't drink more than 2 or 3 units (a pint, a large glass of wine) without feeling pretty rough soon afterwards, and the whole of the next day.
Luckily, I've realised that there are more fun things in life than getting wasted and making a fool of yourself trying to climb things (not people, for clarity.)
I don't disagree with the post, but thinking of the ability to drink copiously as an advantage seems upside down to me. Being unable to drink a lot has made life more fun, as I am present in the moment more, and will probably make it last longer too.
But then, how boring is partying?
You're welcome.
There was a series of AskMeFi threads that were much more interesting than either the post or the comments here:
Today 30 is still young, and 40 isn't middle age any longer. Middle age doesn't really start till you're 50.
You're still a kid, get over it.
Our society/culture has a very narrow definition of youth: if you are older than 25, you are "getting old" or "past your prime" in the eyes of the people that are close to your age. Hell, if you are between 21 and 25 those that are three years younger than you might very well refer to you as "old". It's as if as soon as you can't chow down chocolate icecream for breakfast every day without feeling lethargic and gaining weight, or drink a bottle of vodka one night and get up the next day and run a half marathon you're "getting old".
It's like you have a hot second from the time you are legally your own person and can make your own decisions until suddenly you are "getting old" and you are supposed to spend the rest of your life regretting all the things you didn't do "in your youth" because you are 27 and your brow is slightly furrowed... what the hell?
(But I'm in my mid twenties myself so I don't know how it is to turn 30, 40... take what I say with a grain of salt)