Hi friends,
The time between these blogs is getting longer and longer…sorry about that. I’ve been doing things and not all the things that I do need to be written about. Arguably, most of them don’t, because I’m not that interesting. But then again, most of my blogs are about the most mundane things. So…
Anyway, I’m here now.
In the last several months since I’ve been around, I turned 30. When you really think about it, a birthday is just another day. Not a decade older, not a year older, just a day older than the day before.
But when you don’t really think about it, it feels like a big deal.
Bye bye, 20s; hello, being closer to a socially acceptable age to dream about weekends full of making jam and pickling onions while wearing a fruit-themed sweater. Alright, alright, maybe my idea of a good time won’t be socially acceptable for, like, three more decades, but I can dream!
In honor of my 30th, I’m going to tell you about the boring things I now think about and converse about in my old age.
Three Cheers to Zyrtec
About a month ago, I was in a bar before a concert (because I don’t just pickle things!) and the conversation of seasonal allergies came up. Let’s be honest, I probably steered the conversation there. Sounds like me. And as we all commiserated about seasonal allergies, I chimed in that Zyrtec really helps. And then at least a few of the group agreed.
So I thought, you know what feels right? We need to cheers to Zyrtec. A spirited cheers! So I led the way, we clinked our drinks, and I shouted “To Zyrtec!” Shockingly, no one else was as excited as me. Must have been because I had enough energy for all of us…
Long gone are the days of cheersing to things like “a wild night out” or “New Years 2016”. And honestly, thank goodness. I want nothing less than to manifest a wild night out. I want to manifest reading a book on my couch and tending to my tomato plants. Maybe I’ll cheers to that next.
Did You See That New Thing at Aldi?
I’m not exaggerating when I say Aldi is a topic of conversation almost weekly. And I don’t just mean a topic of conversation with Ben when we talk about the grocery list. I mean a real conversation with other real people.
We talk about the new seasonal goods, the good frozen chicken patties that taste like they’re from a restaurant, the cheese selection, the chicken salad, the things to stock up on that they don’t normally have, the best time to go to beat the crowds. It’s as if Aldi is a cool new restaurant or bar. Except it’s not, and after I buy all these things, I still need to prepare and cook them myself. Seems like a lot of time spent talking about something that creates more work for me.
And it’s not just Aldi. It’s Trader Joes, it’s Fresh Thyme, it’s Costco. It’s Target and Hy-Vee. And it’s constant. I even listened to a podcast episode last week about grocery stores and grocery prices! Why did no one tell me that by the time you turn 30, most of your conversations revolve around the grocery store?
Do You Have a Good Mattress Recommendation?
Yes, yes I do. I spent A LOT of money on a good mattress because guess what? We spend more of our life in our bed than any other single place. So yeah, I’m buying something good.
The mattress and pillow conversation comes up fairly regularly. Now that we’re 30, we finally realize the importance of a good mattress. Proper support. Good life span. Not too soft. Not too firm. And we have a little disposable income to buy one.
Ben and I visited a mattress showroom and laid on all the mattresses. Honestly, it was very awkward to lie down and roll around while the sales people hover over you and talk about why you should go with the most expensive model. Then to politely tell them you will not be buying the most expensive mattress, and in fact, you just came and laid on all the mattresses to get the free pillow deal you saw on the internet. But I think it’s an experience everyone should have, because we grow from being uncomfortable.
Practical Footwear
I am internally cringing just thinking about it. Why do our feet start to hurt when we turn 30? Why do our whole bodies start to hurt? And why have we learned to listen to and respect our bodies enough that we start to buy practical footwear?
It’s gross. But essential.
In my new life, I do things like ask people if they have any good, supportive shoe recommendations. I have extensive conversations about Skechers, and how they’re actually cool again and also kind of comfortable. I buy sketchers and see for myself.
My recent Google searches include: “where to get shoe inserts?” and “do I have plantar fasciitis?” And the top Google result features a picture of an old woman rubbing her foot. Guess that’s 30! She is me. I am her.
The good news is that I think practical footwear is getting cuter. The bad news is that I don’t know what to do with my unpractical footwear. Keep them and see if I get a second wind? Donate them and let someone else live through the cycle? Squirrel them away in the back corner of my closet, forget they’re there for 4 years, and deal with the problem then? Probably the third one…
Don’t Forget Sunscreen
When I was 19, a 29 year old stranger at a pool leaned over to me and said: “If I could tell my 20-year-old self one thing, it would be to always wear sunscreen. Maybe now I wouldn’t be dealing with wrinkles”.
And at the time I thought, “nah, I can barely get a tan without sunscreen. I’ll just have to deal with wrinkles”
But guess what? As someone who is now older and wiser than the 29 year old stranger, I can confidently say she was right.
Let me preface this by saying, I have always been very pro-sunscreen, but I haven’t always been the most diligent.
Now that I’m 30, the tides have turned. This year was my year of “using ample sunscreen and not getting burnt”. Largely because last year was my year of “the worst scalp sunburn I’ve ever experienced and maybe the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been in my life”. So I was determined to not be her again.
I sunscreened before short walks outside. Before watering the garden. Before going to the farmers market. I sunscreened constantly and I also preached to others about how they should sunscreen. I brought sunscreen every time I left the house. I happily let others borrow my sunscreen.
And guess what? Not only did I completely avoid any major sunburns, I also got the most tan I’ve been in years. I bragged about my sunscreen usage to anyone who would listen, because I’m 30, and that’s what we do.
Hydrate or Diedrate
Now that I’m 30, if I go one single day without proper hydration, I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. My head hurts, my body aches, sometimes I feel like the world around me is moving.
Who knew water was so pivotal to our existence?
These days, I start every morning with water before coffee. And then I drink water all day long. It sounds novel, I know. But it’s really just proper health!
Sometimes, when I go to events and it’s hot outside, I decide to just drink water instead of beer. Sometimes when I’m out with friends, I remind them to pack or drink water.
I can confidently say, there were probably stretches in college where I didn’t drink any water for days. I fueled myself solely on coffee and diet coke and alcohol. And then I just woke up the next day and did the same thing. It’s a wonder I survived.
Now if I slack off on my water for one day, I don’t even need to wait until the next day to feel terrible. It hits me by about 3pm.
Does this get even worse with even more age?
So This is Thirty
There you have it. Thirty has been pretty riveting so far.
An honorable mention for things I couldn’t believe happened - last week I was shopping at TJ Maxx and I found a really cute shirt. But instead of putting it in my cart and moving on, I looked at the tag to see what the care instructions were. Immediately, when it was a hand wash/dry flat, I put it back and said, NOPE. I used to not even think about how to wash my clothes when I bought them. But now, if I can’t put it in the washer, it does not come home with me.
Sigh…this is thirty.
And I’m so glad to not be in my 20s anymore.
Cheers,
Lisa
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