As her 30th birthday draws near, Lauren reflects on the important lessons she’s learned along the way
By: Lauren Sanchez
In 136 days, at 5:05 p.m. CST, I’ll be turning 30. How’s that for a countdown?
In all honesty, I’m not counting—I had to Google this information. But as I’ve gotten a bit older, I’ve noticed that with the passing of each year comes more awareness of age and the stereotypes that come with it. I think about it like this: when I turned 21, it was a “rite of passage.” No longer was I at the mercy of my roommate to buy me that bottle of peach wine on her weekly trip to the grocery store. I could walk into any bar and happily order whatever drink I wanted, and when asked for my ID, I was quick to flash it, because now, it meant something: freedom.
Then all of a sudden, I was 25. I had graduated from college, even finished graduate school, and had experienced all the nerves and anxiety of landing my first job. I was now a “young professional”. Life was about happy hours with colleagues and starting to become an adult. I say starting because in hindsight, I was still a bit clueless. I was still eating frozen dinners and had stupidly applied for my first store credit card. But life at 25 was surprising, even adventurous, as I began to navigate the world of online dating and started cultivating my persona as the single, fun-loving wedding guest at the couples’ table. I was still enjoying that intangible yet incomparable gift that I’d been given at 21: freedom.
Which brings me to now: I’m 29, and in less than five months, I’ll be 30. So, what have I learned? What poignant points of wisdom could I share?” Well, here goes…
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