OR 
I was thinking about this the other day as a friend & colleague is soon going to be 30.
Considering I don't have much time to think these days especially with work driving me up the wall and around the bend, this question pop up in my head often enough to give it some thought. I asked a few of my other friends who are well over the '30-hill' what they felt, thought of it.
Here's what they had to say:
"(It has) Meant more freedom, more money, more travel, more of everything and most importantly more of life :)" ~ 35 yr old, single, heading-up-the-corporate-ladder, career-woman.
Maybe it's on hindsight we all realised that turning 30 was far better than we had anticipated.
"No special feelings except that i started having my annual medical checkups after 31. Over the last few years I have started taking things more seriously, especially retirement. When I think of all that we have to do before we retire, it scares me. There’s so little time." ~ 35 yr old, entrepreneur, usually-fun-loving, just-become-father-for-the-second-time.
"More certain of what I want, what lengths I am willing to go to get what i want, what I am willing to sacrifice, definitely dawning upon me to treasure the precious moments, people I care for in my life (read 'treat them less cavalierly'), Freeeeeeeeedom (from society's hang-ups), more travel, an ever expanding horizon...among many, many other things." ~ 35 yr old, single woman, living-on-her-own-in-an-alien-city and who has promised herself she will follow her heart!
(note: please place above statements in the context of being Indian and living in India. There's a vast difference in the extent of influence that family, tradition and society holds over a person in this country as compared to so-called modern, progressive nations)
I realised that all the 30-somethings I had spoken to had an outlook at life that was more positive, more independent, a setting of long-term goals, maybe a a greater sense of responsibility, definitely a feeling that there was a lot of life yet to be experienced (and the 'moolah' to do it) and an almost prophetic sense of adventures in the horizon. Adventures different from one's teenage years or even the 20s but exciting enough nonetheless.
Maybe it's on hindsight we all realised that turning 30 was far better than we had anticipated.
My friend who will be walking up to that summit in a few days from now has mixed feelings. On one hand she is eagerly planning her party, dropping hints about b'day gifts she would like, in some cases even being direct about it while on the other hand she raises existential questions on being 30+.
If the experience of all of us are anything to count, seems like she too will figure out that 30 ain't a bad number after all! :) Cheers!
(pics courtesy: clipart.com; mrgarylee.com)
(pics courtesy: clipart.com; mrgarylee.com)
P.S. I would be happy to hear from you what you felt about turning 30
