This post is aimed at the people about to enter or have just recently entered their 30s. That being said, I hope everyone will read it if they so desire.
Back in January 2023, I wrote a blog post about how I was turning 30 soon and how I was kind of freaking out about it (you can read that post here). I reread it recently, and I can tell that I was worried about the end of my 20s and that possibly meaning a big change for me and who I was as a person.
I’ll be turning 31 soon, meaning I’ve been in my thirties for about a year now. And I can safely say at this point that turning 30 doesn’t change much.
Okay, maybe it does change much in some aspects. Healthwise, I have to be more careful because as you get older, staying healthy becomes more work. It’s especially difficult for me, as I’m not an exercise fan and I love my junk food, though I do manage stay somewhat stable on the health front somehow.
But other than the health thing (and let’s face it, that actually starts around 27 or 28, not 30), nothing much has changed. I still enjoy watching anime and YouTube videos every opportunity I get. I still make dumb jokes ninety percent of the time, I’m still indulging in my hobbies, such as winemaking and going to movies or the theater. I still get a kick out of being overdramatic or scaring people (intentionally or otherwise). I still like to sleep in and have a drink or two on the weekends.
And I’m still chasing my dream of becoming a fulltime writer. Hell, four months after turning thirty, I published my fifth book (Hannah and Other Stories, if you want to read it, BTW).
Honestly, I think a lot of it is perspective. If you feel that turning 30 is a big change or that you have to make some big changes because you’re turning 30, you will. However, if you want to go about your business as you have, you will. I certainly have, and any changes in the past year might actually be because of other factors, such as work, or the economy, or progress on the writing front, or a hundred other things.
And if you want to make some changes in your life, then don’t do it because you feel forced to due to a milestone birthday. Do it because you want it. Run that marathon. Take that class. Take up that hobby. Learn that skill. See if you can purchase that house with only so much in savings (believe me, it worked out for me when I was 28/29, though honestly that was before the prices got really insane).
And above all, pursue that dream. It’s never too late for that. Hell, there’s a great anime about that airing right now (though on the surface, it’s about a guy who wants to stop giant monsters from destroying Japan). And there’s me and my fellow writers. I’m nearly 31 and still pursuing that dream. In some ways, I feel pretty damn close. And I know other writers who are older than me, or started writing in their 30s, 40s, and beyond, and have found great success in doing so.
Yeah, reaching your thirties is kind of scary. It used to mean being a lot older and being a lot further along in life (house, spouse, kids, job, etc.), after all. But it could also mean big things on the horizon. It could mean you have experience and you’re going to make fewer mistakes when you set out on a new journey. In the end, you decide what it’s going to be. Not society or some nebulous idea of adulthood. You do.
And I think that’s pretty damn awesome.
You know, my Followers of Fear, 30 was a roller coaster. On the one hand, it was my toughest year at the office for a number of reasons, and I dealt with a lot of things I rather would have gone without. On the other hand, I did some amazing things I’ll treasure forever, including but not limited to my first StokerCon (and I’m already signed up to go to next year’s!). And you know what? The same can be said about any age, if you think about it. It’s always a roller coaster.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Don’t bother getting me any birthday gifts (unless you want to check out and then review my books, in which case that would be a great gift). I’m off to rest. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
Rami Ungar The Writer 