When Summers Meant Something and 30 Was Old

In 103 days, I’ll be 30.

To some, the prospect of hitting the big 3-0 is some scary, petrifying thing, but to me, well, I’m not scared of it. I have a friend who has been 24 for about seven years now, and every year she tells me, “Oh, I’m 24 again!” I chuckle because really, what’s the big deal about 30?

Despite the fact that I’m starting to get lines near my eyes, and those creases near my nose and mouth (smile lines?), I still feel young. I still refer to myself and friends as “girls” even though most of us have children of our own now, own our own homes, and let’s face it, passed the “girl” stage many moons ago.

But I don’t care, because age is a state of mind.

What does happen lately, when I think of turning 30, is that I get nostalgic for the “old days” (see, I must be getting old, using phrases like “the old days”). My sister is 19, and when I watch her living her life – carefree, social, and all that jazz – it makes me remember when I was her age, and you know, that was TEN YEARS AGO. The stuff she’s doing these days, the life she’s living? Not altogether unlike where I was a decade ago. I was having a fun time when I was her age (ack! “When I was her age”!? That’s another hallmark, getting-old saying!).

High school wasn’t particularly fun, but I loved going away to college, making new friends, meeting new people. I have several great friends I keep in touch with from my high school days, but I think once I left for college, I really got to figure out who I was, what I wanted to do with my life, and I met some wonderful people along the way that are some of my most cherished friends. Back then, 30 seemed eons away. It seemed old.

When I was 19, summers meant no classes. Summers meant spending weekends at the beach. Summers meant a break from the monotony of day to day life. Older now, summers (apart from the weather) aren’t really any different to me in my life than winter, fall or spring. Between work and kids – summer has seemed to lose its magic and that’s sort of sad. Days blur together, and months whiz by. Is it because I’m getting older?

Life is full of change and transition – from high school to college, from college to real world, from real world to real-world-with-husband — and from there, married with children and work. Life moves pretty fast, and it’s hard to embrace all of these moments, feels like there is no time, but I don’t know that I would do it any other way. Here, staring in the face of 30 (just 103 more days), I wouldn’t change a thing – I’m definitely living the life I was meant to.