Turning 30 is intimidating because it’s supposed to be a milestone: you look back at the fun times and early accomplishments of your 20’s as you look towards settling into a more serious life in your 30’s. Of course, 30 is a pretty arbitrary age for any accomplishment, so perhaps it’s better spent just taking stock of the last decade and the next to come.
Early on, I earned a bachelor’s from Cornell and a master’s from Penn State, cementing a solid education. The latter was an evening program reimbursed by work, which made the long haul a good deal. The free time and various jobs since have let me pursue my own interests in reading, technology, and photography.
My career got off to a good start with a job at a big corporation where I experienced many different projects before deciding to move on after 7 years. There were some accumulated hard times behind the decision, too, but I weathered them while making a shift from engineering to software. The path forward is still uncertain in terms of what to do and where to do it, but I’ve accumulated enough skills and ideas to open up the options a bit.
Financially, slaving away for the corporate machine has paid off. Between investments and my parents pushing me to buy a condo before the real estate bubble, I can’t complain. My biggest outlay tends to be travel; lots of vacations, snowboarding trips, and a few international and business trips. There are still plenty of places I’d like to go, though I sometimes find myself waiting on the right time or companion.
Companionship has probably been the most difficult thing to find; frustratingly the end results don’t reflect my effort. I’ve had plenty of dates, online dating adventures, and some shorter and longer relationships. Finding and recognizing the right person ties into a number of other plans for travel, buying a house, and starting a family. Hopefully at this point, I at least know what I’m looking for.
The company of family and friends has been easier to find, though the circle has shrunk over the years. I am glad I settled back in the Philadelphia area, where many of them are more accessible. Adopting a cat last year was a great addition; Meadow is always good, affectionate company.
All in all, life is good, even if I tend to spend more time thinking about how to make it better than enjoying what I already have. Maybe contentment is the wisdom I’ll gain in my 30’s…
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