I’m Thirty?!?

~ Never Not Reading

So yeah, that happened this week. Still processing.

The thing is, I am absolutely not freaked out about getting older. Normally I don’t even keep track of how old I am, and anyways I’m looking forward to my thirties and seeing my family grow up. I am a little freaked out about how old I actually am. I feel like just yesterday I turned twenty-three.

I don’t feel thirty. Not even close. Adult-hood has completely taken me by surprise. Like, I know I have two kids and I own a house and I have a real adult job, but I still don’t feel like I have my stuff together. I just feel like I’m making everything up as I go. Maybe that’s normal for thirty-year-olds, but it just seems like they all have everything figured out.

The other moms at my church look so much more grown up, to me. They wear jewelry, and fix their hair, and have nice, well-cut dresses. I just figured out that if I wear a cardigan with my t-shirts I look less like a high schooler. I’m still regularly told I look “so young”, even that I look 18. Is it because I have baby face, or because my chic-est outfit involves wearing my TOMS without the Pokemon socks?

I still call my parents about literally everything. My car broke! Do I have to get a new one, or is it worth getting it fixed? Aren’t thirty-year-olds supposed to be more independent?

Financially I’m a hot mess. Other families on my street are all buying their kids iPhones and motorized toy cars, and we’re just over here like, “Hey kid, I bought you a $3 house key from Home Depot, have fun!” Also, I’m not saving for retirement yet because I can’t afford it, so THAT’S scary. Aren’t you supposed to have your finances more together by your thirties?

So, yeah, mostly I’m freaking out because I still feel as clueless as the day I graduated from college. Scratch that, I was much more confident the day I graduated college, because life hadn’t happened yet. lol

Sooooooooo, any real grown-up life tips would be super appreciated, and I’ll try to stop bombarding you all with adulting woes now. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

31 thoughts on “I’m Thirty?!?”

  3. Happy birthday! And don’t sweat it if you feel like everyone else has it figured out. Nobody does, in my experience. If they have one aspect sorted, then there’s probably something else going awry that they’re just not sharing. Also, I still feel like a kid sometimes and call my parents about things, and I’m older than you are!

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  7. Happy Birthday!
    As someone who is turning thirty in November I have zero idea how to do this adulating thing either. It all depends on the day if I feel like an adult or not. Work days when I have to handle all things around me, yep. Weekends when I am on the couch in my Harry Potter pajamas with a stuff animal around me, nope.
    I have told my parents that I will always be calling for help, so they just need to get used to it lol.
    I think some of us are just better at pretending to adult then others!

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  8. Ha ha, I’m 30 later in October and I relate to what you’re saying. I have 2 kids as well, I have no idea where my career is heading, rented house, and in my head I’m about 22. I’m genuinely surprised that I’m leaving my 20s behind and a bit scared to be honest, when will I feel properly grown up?? I have read that people feel most confident in their 40s however 😉

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  9. You’ll find that as people around you become younger, you’ll have loads more knowledge and experience than they, and that is a cool feeling. You’re no longer “the kid” in the group. A number of people at my job are in their 20s, so they look to be to be an authority figure.

    While you don’t need to be super polished do-it-all mommy in heels and nicely cut dresses, I do believe it clothes say something about us. If you’re wearing cartoon socks, people are going to make assumptions. I confess I have a t-shirt with Pusheen reading a book on the front, but I only wear it on the weekends, for example.
    I also have socks that say “fuck this shit.” I don’t want suggest you change your style; just offering food for thought about when your clothes need to tell everyone exactly what you like, such a Pokemon, vs when to let your words tell people who you are.

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  11. Happy Birthday! I am right there with you on the adulting front. I turned 30 at the beginning of August, and I still feel like I should have things more together with my life. Heck, I just moved out of my mom’s house last year, so I felt like a bad adult for the longest time because I was still living at home and all of that. We’ll figure all this adult stuff out at some point…I hope. lol.

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  15. I’m 38 and don’t feel 38. My life is very different at 38 than when my parents were 38, so maybe that’s partially why don’t feel it. But I will say, I love being in my 30’s! Best decade so far. Enjoy!

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