Being in Your 30s Is Wild: From Diapers to Dating and Everything Between
Photo by Aro Ha
Being in Your 30s Is Weird — Beautiful, But Weird
The other day, I had a moment.
I was getting my nails done by an 18-year-old (who, might I add, is incredibly talented), and we were chatting about life — like you do — when she casually mentioned that her mom is 38. And her siblings? 13 and 15. I did the math. She’s the oldest. Her mom is basically me.
Meanwhile, I am sitting there with a three-year-old and a four-month-old at home… and I suddenly had that out-of-body, time-is-an-illusion moment where I realized:
Being in your 30s is wild.
We’re All Living Wildly Different Lives
At any given moment, people in their 30s are:
Raising teenagers
Raising toddlers
Having their first baby
Still dating
Already divorced and re-partnered
Living alone and thriving
Running a business
Living with roommates
Buying their third house
Just moved back in with their parents
Soft-launching their boyfriend on Instagram
It’s all happening at once, and somehow we’re all the same age.
I Don’t Feel Old… But Gen Z Says Otherwise
Let’s be real — we don’t feel old. Most of us still think it’s 2015 half the time. But then someone on TikTok uses five slang words in a row and I’m like, “I’m sorry… what?”
They say things like:
“It’s giving…”
“Delulu is the solulu”
“Skibidi Rizz Ohio”
“It’s the ✨audacity✨ for me”
And I just nod and pretend I understand because I’m trying to stay in the chat
The Beauty of It All
But here's the thing — despite the chaos, the comparison, and the “am I old or not?” spiral — I kind of love it here.
Your 30s feel like that stretch of the road where you’ve made enough decisions to know who you are… but still have the freedom to change your mind. You can be soft and strong. You can be growing and settled. You can be raising a baby and still feel like one yourself.
I’m learning that being in your 30s is all about letting it be both.
So If You’re Also in the Weird 30s Club…
Welcome. Pull up a chair. Whether you're dating, diapering, or DIY-ing your way through this decade, just know that you’re not alone. We’re all figuring it out in our own way — and honestly, that’s kind of the magic of it.