Life

30 is the Magic Number

Growing up, I thought that people had their lives together by the time they turned 25. You had graduated from college by then and started your career, and of course you were making good money with no debt and no problems.

And then I turned 24 in 2008, I was laid off from my job. Pete and I got married, but he was transitioning careers too, so it was a tough time for us. We had no insurance for 9 months, which was a huge deal because of the kidney thing. We were working so hard, and so were my college friends, who were all juggling kids, grad school, careers, and their own recession issues. I don’t know if it was just me, or the supposed “sense of entitlement” that my millenial generation supposedly suffers from.

I specifically remember having a conversation with Brent where I said, “I thought things would be better by the time we were 25, but now we’re 25 and they’re not. So I think that 30 must be when everything falls in to place.”

And with that, 30 became the magic number. And any time I would get frustrated with what was going on, I would remind myself that life had to be better at 30.

At 28, Pete graduated from grad school but couldn’t find a job. We went through another kidney biopsy and discovered his kidney disease was genetic, but they didn’t know what gene it was. While talking about if we should even have kids, I got pregnant and subsequently miscarried. I think both of us were done at the end of 2011. Something had to give. And then 9 days before my 29th birthday, I accepted my job in Cincinnati, at a company that was way more stable than where I was working before. They would relocate us, and we would leave Orlando behind two weeks later.

2012 progressed quite nicely. We found an amazing house and had extra space for the first time since Pete moved into my condo. He was able to transfer with Target, which allowed him to maintain his work history with them while simultaneously looking for a job.  Things were looking a little brighter. The economy in Ohio is a little more stable. He got a contract job as a recruiter, and with 37 days left before I turn 30, he was offered a full time, permanent position with them. We can breathe a little easier.

The next morning I got to call Brent and say, “Pete got the job! I TOLD YOU things would be better by 30!”

So while my friends work on their “30 things to do by 30” lists, I’m happy with my one thing: confirm that 30 is the magic number when things will finally begin to fall into place.