The tribulations of a single thirty-something
Being a woman in your thirties is a little disconcerting. You're not so young anymore, but not so old either. Not to mention if you're single, too!
Here are some features of this period of your life that you may identify with (always with humor of course, because after all, it's better to laugh than to cry 🙂).
- The offset paths: You take on jobs like those around you take on projects (marriages, children, house).
- The change of “target”: You end up smiling more at dogs on leashes than at their owners.
- Concerns of loved ones: Your family thinks you're a lost cause (or maybe you're a lesbian). They think you're responsible for your fate or just too difficult.
- The ups and downs of celibacy: You can sometimes go from flirting with 3 guys at once and other times not getting out of your pajamas to being jealous of other couples around you.
- The Gray Hair Conundrum: Are your gray hairs actually strands of wisdom or is it just a hair conspiracy against your youth?
- Selective memory: In your 30s, you may forget where you left your phone. But you can sing the entire lyrics to a song from your teens without any problem.
- The racing test: You managed to buy everything except what you really needed. At least you're well stocked with snacks, that's always something.
- Online dating: It's like online shopping. You look at the pictures, read the description, and hope that the product delivered will be as expected. Online dating or that ocean you sail on, and the only fish you seem to catch is an expert at ghosting.
- The only one "happily ever after" that you know comes at the end of the last episode of your favorite series. It's almost the same, right?
- Wrinkles that appear without permission: In your thirties, you're not old, but your wrinkles seem to think otherwise. You even think your facial expressions are on strike.
- The battle with your metabolism: Remember a time when you could eat an entire pizza and not gain an ounce? Now you're gaining weight just by looking at it.
- Nighttime existential questions: At 3 a.m., you can be going through all sorts of existential debates: Did you choose the right career? When will you finally master the art of folding your sheets properly? Is watching cat videos your main source of happiness? And if so, is that a problem?
- Fashion faux pas: You realize you're officially in your 30s when your impulse purchases are no longer evening wear, but furniture or home decor.
- Netflix dates: Your Friday night plans mostly consist of a series marathon with your most loyal partner, Netflix. All while stuffing yourself with cookies and wondering how you got here.
- Social dilemmas: Are you too old to go clubbing? Or are you just too tired to go?
- Nightlife and the reality of the day after a party: At that age, a successful party is measured by how quickly you can recover. If you're not back in shape in less than two days, it was clearly a legendary party. A successful party in your thirties is when you can be in bed by 10 p.m. without feeling like you're missing out on something important (see article Are you suffering from FOMO?). At 20, you were out until dawn. At 30, you're trying to figure out how long you can stay out before you start missing your bed.
- Online shopping: Your thirties are when you discover that your Amazon shopping cart is full of things you don't need. But that will certainly bring you fleeting joy.
- The magic of Mondays: Monday mornings in your 30s feel like a marathon. A coffee marathon. Lots of coffee… 😉
So do you find yourself in any of these situations?
These little contextualizations illustrate the sometimes comical and often chaotic daily life of a single thirty-something, juggling between independence, challenges, and the small pleasures of life.
So keep enjoying life! Without losing sight of your self-mockery especially. In a period where you juggle responsibilities while trying not to take life too seriously 🙂
