Kayla is doing a project at school. She could use a little help from all of you…Here is Kayla to explain.
What it basically boils down to is that kids think nothing happens in our lives after we are 30, have the house, and start and having kids. I’m hoping that many of you might leave a comment in the comment section letting kids know that life does continue to have milestones and events all along the way as we get older.
Here is my list…
I was a stay-at-home mom. This gave me lots of time to volunteer on church boards and be active in the community.
We had five kids that kept me very busy.
We moved from Minnesota to Iowa. We lived in four different houses in Iowa.
My mom died when I was 24.
When our youngest went to kindergarten I opened an in-home childcare.
I went back to college at 37 for early childhood education.
I became a public speaker and spoke at Early Childhood Education continuing education conferences.
My dad died when I was 42.
I, with Kayla’s help, created a recognized Early Learning Printables website, Making Learning Fun.
I, with Kayla’s help, started a successful blog, Jo’s Country Junction
I had a hysterectomy.
I, with my husband, remodeled two foreclosure homes
I am a nationally published quilt designer
At 50 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer
I had foot surgery.
I became a grandma for the first time.
At 53 I lost my husband to lung cancer. I had to learn life all over again.
At 56 my cancer has returned. I’m currently in the process of treating it.
I continue to do childcare in my home and try to make an impact in the lives of the kids I care for.
Add in there the marriages of four of my kids. The birth of nine grandkids and all that entails. By far, my kids and grandkids are the highlight of my achievements.
I used to think that people were crazy saying when they got older, they got busier. It is TOTALLY true. I know of very few people who say otherwise.
Along the way, my life has been sprinkled with fun encounters. No, they aren’t always big things like getting my driver’s license, but seeing Elton John in concert was really cool. Meeting new people has been so fun.
I believe life gets MUCH better along the way. I’ve become more and more comfortable with myself and care less and less about what others think of me.
I highly recommend growing old.
It’s your turn. Please share some of the highlights in your life so Kayla’s high school kids can see that aging is actually a fun thing!! Let’s let them know that there are still many things to look forward to after you pass your 30th birthday.
(I can’t wait to read the comments. It will be so fun getting to know you all more)
Hi Jo
My dad died when I was eight years old leaving my mum with three kids still at school. I had to leave school at sixteen to start earning to help out at home I always felt the lack of education although I educated myself by reading everything I could lay my hands on.. after travelling the world through my husband’s work I got a job in a supermarket to help put my son and daughter through university as I was determined that they would have the chance that I didn’t.
I retired at sixty and ten years later I went to university and after seven years of hard work and tears I got a degree in English Language and Literature. I can’t tell you how much that degree meant to me and how my dear husband supported me through it all.
Life doesn’t end after thirty.
Pam
I had my daughter at age 30 and was diagnosed with MS at 31.
I set up a toddler group in our village age 33, and continued to run it for 10 years.
I drove a combine harvester at 34.
In my 30’s I set up an invoicing system for our farm business.
In my 40’s I learnt how to take the dishwasher apart, find the fault, order a new part and fix it.
Age 45, I towed a horse trailer for the first time.
I taught myself to sew at 49, with help from YouTube, and now make all my own clothes.
I started using a wheelchair permanently age 49.
I’m now 54 and can herd cows with my wheelchair!
30 – had my third child.
As I live in Australia, we (husband and 3 kids) spent 6 weeks in America – visited Disneyland and a lot of state parks.
Lots of overseas travel.
Published a couple of quilts in Australian magazines
43 got divorced went back to study – obtained an Advanced Diploma of Accounting.
Got a job, did further study obtained a Diploma of Financial Services.
Supported my 3 kids as they went through school and University – one degree and 2 double degrees.
Walked my eldest daughter down the aisle when she got married.
2017 in my 50’s travelled through the UK and Europe with my son and his partner and my youngest daughter. Crossed a bucket list item off in Spain that I had wanted to do since I was 8.
2018 travelled through more of Europe and Scotland with my son.
At 54 became a grandmother for the first time.
At 55 I started to look after him one day a week and still do
At 57 became a grandmother for the second time.
Looking forward to retiring and crossing more bucket list items off my list.
My mother at 80 is still travelling overseas – life is for living.
I was born with one kidney. My parents divorced when I was three. At age 4 I had an uncle rape me(my mind has blocked the tradegy but both told me this when I turned 18). At age 11 I passed out on the school Bus because I had a brain tumor the size of a baseball pressing my brain stem and cerebellum. Had surgery and ten months later another tumor had grown, the size of a softball, in its place. It was now a grade 2-3 astrocytoma. Endured a year and a half of radiation and chemotherapy. Completed high school and worked throughout those years at a grocery store. Started college but in Dec. 1992 I found out the cancer returned. After surgery Dr told me there was no more they could do and said I had five years to live but I walked away and let God. 11 years later age 30 I was a bank teller when a guy with a gun robbed the bank. I suffered PTSD and quit. Three days later I signed up at the local tech college to get into nursing or physical therapy as both were in high demand. I was accepted into the physical therapy program. I also got married when I was thirty. I couldn’t have children but I have two nieces. At age 33 we bought a house. My husband who had a rare. Genetic disease (alport’s syndrome) in which his body attacked any foreign proteins that entered his body at age seven he started dialysis treatments .3x a week. At agec20 worked at Chase bank as a processor 3 days a week and coached little league baseball soccer and peewee football. He passed away in 2016. and many of the children he coached came to say thank you before he passed. I am now a licensed physical therapist and a certified therapeutic massage therapist. specializing in myofascial release in Maui and now studying psychology.
I turned 30 on my honeymoon. I finally became an aunt at 30. Moved at 33. Finished my masters degree at 35. We’re financially stable enough now to do more of the travel I’ve wanted to do all my life.
In my 30’s I was honorably discharged from the United States Army after coming back from my deployment to Iraq. My husband at the time then went to Iraq as a government contractor, so I moved myself, 3 kids, and 3 very large dogs from Kansas back home to Iowa to start my life over in a small 2 bedroom house. The president decided to pull all of our troops out of Iraq, so my then husband decided it was unsafe for him to stay in Iraq, and he chose to come back home. I decided to join the Reserve unit in Ames, Iowa, only to be medically discharged a few short months later due to an injury I had received while in the Army because of medical classification changes. I started a new job at Hormel Foods. My then husband was unable to keep a job. Inevitably, due to a lot of issues in our marriage, we separated under horrible terms that I will not get into. After a very long court battle, we finally divorced. I went back to school and received a Masters degree in Business with an emphasis in Human Resources Management. I met a wonderful man, we had a baby together and I purchased my first home and brand new Chevy Silverado truck right off the lot. We rescued a dog and a cat adopted us. I turned 40 this year. My grandmother, whom raised me and my 5 siblings, passed away suddenly last month.
All of this happened in the last 10 years. So to say life ends at 30 is crazy. Mine got very interesting once I hit that 30 mark.
No one ever knows what will happen 10, 20, 30 years down the road. Education is important. I have my BS in Nutrition and used it to support myself. I have never been married. I did not live my life looking for a husband. I know many who do. Take the time now to be comfortable with yourself and get your education/training. In time, you will want to be comfortable to going to dinner alone. Maybe during a business trip or to treat yourself.
My dad died 6 years ago Part of the problem was Post Polio Syndrome . He is the reason my mom had us kids get one of first polio shots in the MD office. Think of the Cover long hauler. Think of getting Covid vaccine. I have two brothers, 1 nephew, 2 nieces and 1 great nephew. Yes there is a sister-in-law and my nephew is married. Never a crowd around the Christmas Tree. No Sunday dinners with cousins because my family lived to far from them for a quick visit and my dad would work weekends. My dad was a State Trooper and my mom was a nurse working at a couple different places.
This a quick snapshot of my live, a person who is helping her mom as she grows older.
I joined the Navy at age of 27 after a divorce. A little old but I still met the requirements! After boot camp and A-school, I was assigned to NSFA, Naval Support Force Antarctica. Yes, I went to Antarctica – twice. On purpose. ;-) It was there I met my husband Mike. We got married in 1985. We have 3 children, born 87, 89, and 90. So, life pretty much started for me around 30. Mike retired from the Navy in 1995. We sold our house, and bought an RV. We traveled the US – three kids, four cats, and a dog. We settled in FL in 2004, right when 3 hurricanes hit. Our house was in the middle of all three. I homeschooled our kids all the way through high school. Our oldest is now married to a tug boat first mate – they have 5 kids and she homeschools. My middle daughter is married and is the district supervisor for corrections officers in her district. My son is the head mechanic at an amusement park here in FL. We are now back on the road full time in an RV. Only 2 cats this time. ;-)
Hope this helps.
Love and prayers
Live doesn’t end at 30. It barely starts. I finished my degree in my 20s and at 30 I quit my job and moved overseas. Best decision ever! I returned to the states at 33. Like sewhappy I did not live looking for a husband, even as my friends all followed a more traditional path. I still had zero plans to marry when I met my husband at 41, married when I was 44 and had 2 kids when I was 47. My parents taught their kids to take the opportunities when they present themselves because you do not know if they will come again and there is no right path to take for everyone. Looking forward to the future!
My mother was from England and met my father who was a Canadian and stationed there in the air force at the time.
They got married and moved to Canada with my mother’s mother.
I grew up with two parents and a grandmother who acted like one.
I was an only child because I’m guessing they couldn’t afford to have anymore.
I ended up hating my grandmother and moved out of home at 17.
Worked in K-Mart for 4 years and then worked in the 1 Hour Photo Lab business for 10 years.
Married a man some 20 years older than me at 24. Luckily never had any children with him and we parted 5 years later.
I then married my second husband and had two children with him, we parted ways 8 years later.
My father died of Alzheimers at 67.
I left my mother in Canada and got involved with a man 10 years younger than myself in Holland whom I met through the internet and moved there. We got married and have a child. I started a longarm quilting business and ran it for 15 yeasr , just retired .
Now 23 years later I am still in Holland. My mother passed away recently at 92 but she visited me often here in Holland and I saw her frequently in Canada.
At 61 I now feel like I might be started to get the symtoms of Alzheimers but it just might be the shock of losing my mother that causes me to me not quite with it sometimes.
Only tiime will tell.
I graduated from Elon College, NC in 1970 and met an Air Force Sgt soon after. We fell in love but sadly, he was killed in an auto accident and I was devastated. He was from Tiffin, Iowa so I always had a connection to Iowa. In 1972, I joined the Air Force and was commissioned a 2LT. My first assignment was Tyndall AFB, FL. I met my current husband, going on 49 years in January. He went to Thailand and I flew over and we got married at the Embassy in Bangkok. Coming back, we were stationed in Clovis NM, At the near two year point, I left the AF pregnant with my first son, we had orders to go to England for 3 years which was a fabulous tour. When we returned to the states to Florida, I had a 3 year old and a 3 month old boys. Rejoined the Air Force Reserve and retired after 20 years. Called up for Desert Storm, owned an interior design business for 35 years. Husband got out of AF after ten years, he joined the reserve and retired. We live in the panhandle of Florida. 5 grandchildren later we are retired and loving it. Lots can happen if you just take chances and go forward!
I graduated right before I turned 18. That summer I went to France on a mission trip. Then I attended 2 different community colleges where I studied every available language, took every available dance class, and performed in every show I could. I had many different jobs to support myself. Does that sound fun? I had my first child at 22. I got married at 24. From there one might be tempted to think I had a boring traditional life. We gained custody of my stepson and I had 5 more sons. Yep, that makes 7 boys! But I continued to learn and to dance, only now I included my kids. We attended our church. The two youngest were in little league so I did the whole “soccer mom” thing. I homeschooled them all and taught Spanish, French and literature at a homeschool co-op. Teaching was one of the most rewarding experiences ever. Our eldest went to Iraq, got married, and has 4 children. One of his sons just started Marine basic training. He’s only about 3 years younger than my youngest. I have 2 (about to be 3) much younger grandkids local to me who I watch while their parents work. Does all this sound boring and traditional? I say it’s rather revolutionary. It’s a revolutionary act nowadays to make family a priority. It’s revolutionary to stay married when life hits a rough patch. But nothing has been more rewarding. I heard my kids read their first words and now I am a big part of my grandkids’ lives! I learned how to be a maker by learning to sew, crochet, knit, embroider, tat ( no not that kind), and pretty much anything else that uses a needle. My adult life has been one of continued learning, growth, and the challenge of navigating relationships all while keeping my sanity! I am blessed that after I married I never had to “go to work”, because as it turns out, I didn’t want to go to work! My advice for young people is this; take time to find what really brings you satisfaction. Worry less about how much money a job will earn you and more about how much satisfaction a job will give you because if you enjoy your job you will be a happier person. And, don’t underestimate how important you will be to the children you will have. Life doesn’t end at 30. It’s just starting to get challenging. Lastly, at 57 years old I can say my heart is still in its 30s. I don’t feel old because I don’t have time for that! Blessings
I grew up on a farm in the Midwest with 4 siblings. I married at 19 after LPN training and later earned my RN. After having 3 kids and deciding to homeschool, I worked only PRN. Soon after adopting 2 more children, the marriage ended in divorce after over 21 years, so I was thrown back into the workforce. Two years later, I met a wonderful man who lived over 2000 miles from me. Dating was expensive, so we courted over the telephone and soon married. That was nearly 20 years ago. I did not know that the neurological event I had at age 36 was my first MS relapse, but was diagnosed for sure at age 56. We had a lovely farm for several years. Most of my time now is spent making quilts. Life barely started at 20, or even 30! My dear grandmother married at age 83 after being a widow for over 40 years!
I married my high-school sweetheart at age 20. Shortly after he enlisted in the Air Force. I sewed patches on uniforms and hemmed dress blues for extra money. My husband spent nearly 7 months in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. Our Desert Stork baby arrived on the 1st Anniversary of the War. He was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was -60* below 0. I had my own home party business while we lived in South Dakota. I adored Bonnie Hunter’s craft patterns and made many of them and sold them to friends much like a pampered chef type party. I met lots of people. When my son started school, we were transferred to Andrews Air Force Base. I taught swimming lessons and lifeguarding, was a substitute teacher and youth sports program director. I was also the yearbook editor at my son’s elementary school. Along came a thing called 9-11 and my husband was deployed again. Shortly after we moved again to Kansas. Then a big 9-11 anniversary surprise. Our 2nd son was positive on the stick. At that time I re-enrolled in college at 35, and pregnant. My husband was deployed to Oman, while I was pregnant. He came home for his birth and was deployed again to Iraq when he was 6 months old. Having children 11 years apart has fantastic advantages and disadvantages. I was busy single parenting my preteen son and my baby had colic and was teething, all while my husband was deployed. I continued working on my marketing degree online and sewing when I could. We were transferred to Washington State for 2 years. I was a library technician and helped with children’s programs. My dream job! My husband retired in 2008 and we returned home. My oldest son graduated, and my youngest was diagnosed with Autism in 1st Grade. I quickly finished my marketing degree and got a masters in Autism Assessment. My husband returned to school after his military retirement and got 2 masters degrees. He became a PE teacher and coach until he was diagnosed with PTSD. All that time in the sand was really hard on him. I started sewing again to relieve my stress. In 2018 I bought a long arm! My favorite thing to make is t-shirt quilts. My oldest son will soon be 30, my youngest is 18 and will graduate with his peers. We are rehabbing our 1997 house with old fixtures since I can’t find one I can afford. I use my degrees everyday in my volunteer work. I speak at college panels, and mentor “newly diagnosed” parents. I would really like to work on my Doctorate , but time isn’t on my side right now. Advice for your students, NEVER QUIT LEARNING!
I got married for the first time at 33. Had my children when I was 35 and 37. I have done so much more after 30 than I did before. I went on my first mission trip to Hong Kong when I was 48. My second mission trip was two years later to Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China. After 30 I have hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I have hiked to the top of a trail in the Rocky Mountains that included some rock climbing. My husband and I hike whenever we can. We also love riding our bicycles. We bought a Corvette a couple years ago and take off on rides all the time. I became a grandmother at 61 and I now watch her while her parents work. I keep active and eat healthy and I’m in great health. Life is great after 30!
Hi,
Graduated college at 20 with majors in Spanish and French. Started working at the DMV at 21. I was married at 27. Became the first female manager for Motor vehicle offices at 30. Volunteered teaching English to immigrants for many years. Traveled extensively around Mexico with my husband and mom in my thirties and forties. Retired at 55. Went back to college to learn how to teach English as a second language. Worked at a private language school teaching all ages from college to seniors. Started RVing with my husband, traveling around the country. Became a widow at 60. Started RVing by myself at 61 and I still am. Just got back from seeing the Albuquerque ballon fiesta with my 88 year young mom. I spend winters in the south as a don’t like Wisconsin winters any more.
Life doesn’t end at 30 – it’s just beginning and takes many twists and turns along the way!
I finished high school, started college, and dropped out to get married in my late teens; by age 24 I had 3 children. I worked different jobs to help my husband get his college degree and then to help support the family. At age 27 I returned to college, but had to quit at age 29 due to divorce and went back to work to support my children. I wasn’t looking for anyone to share my life with, but remarried at age 31 and am so glad I found the right person for me! Now at age 70, I have lived in 4 different states; traveled to all 50 states plus several provinces in Canada; traveled to England and Scotland with a choir which performed in a couple of cathedrals; visited over 40 of the US National Parks (several more than once); raised my 3 kids who are all independent; have 3 wonderful grandchildren; volunteer in my community with Master Gardener Volunteers; sing in a Sweet Adelines chorus; dealt with the loss of family members and friends; and try to learn new things all the time. Life does indeed throw curve balls now and then but it’s important to work through them and learn to adapt.
My life after age 30:
* We remodeled our old house and built a garage and I helped my husband every inch of the way.
If I wasn’t holding the end of a 2×4 then I was cleaning up our work area.
* We believe a yearly vacation is an opportunity to get away and we saved up for it all year to take our family. Some years we rented an inexpensive cabin so we geared to our income.
* When we retired, we’ve been to Scandinavia two times, Hawaii & Ireland. One year we bought a tiny camper and drove to Alaska. It was a fun 5 week trip.
* A grandson lived in our house and we traveled the United States in a 26’ camper for 8 months after retiring.
* We didn’t go past high school but we’ve both had jobs with good pension plans and we so appreciate that now. Retirement comes sooner than you think.
* I had my parents until they were 87 and 90 and it was a privilege to help them in their old age.
Spinster until I married a childhood friend at age 68. He’s 82. I lived in a city, now live in a cabin deep in the pine forests of South Mississippi. We bought a nice camper and big truck to pull it. I learned how to drive a truck and travel and set up a camper. We’ve traveled from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. Before I got married I had been to about 5-6 quilt shops. Since then I’ve been to 50-60. We’ve met remarkable people all over the country at festivals, car shows campgrounds. We both joined QOV and thoroughly enjoy presentation ceremonies. We’ve met veterans whose stories of courage and bravery will stay with us forever.
OH. We were special guests at our favorite band’s concert. Make your students guess who it is. (Foofighters. Haha. Yes we’re old but we can still rock.)
I am 56 years old. I love being this age! I have one son, who serves in the US Navy. He makes me so proud. We’ve gone to events that relate to his career and we love the places he’s brought us. I loved that I could stay home and raise him. I am a quilter. I donate most of my quilts to a group home for teenaged kids who have been removed from their home because they haven’t been treated right. I also make quilts that go to hospitals for kids with cancer. I volunteer and sew for a group called Days for Girls. We make washable, reusable feminine hygiene kits for girls all over the world. Many girls don’t have the products that they need during their period and they can’t go to school. They have to stay behind and sit on cardboard. If they can’t go to school, they can’t pass the final exam and they have to drop out of school. It’s a great organization and I’m so proud to be a part of that. My husband still works at a good job which allows me to stay home. I just adopted an older rescue beagle who needs extra care. I can do it because I have the time to give this poor old girl some love throughout the day. I wouldn’t change my age for anything. Life is what you make of it! We’ve moved 9 times for my husband’s job. I’ve always embraced the places we’ve moved to. You can like a place or hate a place, it’s up to you. I’ll end with this: life isn’t about how old you are, it’s all about your attitude!!!
I am involved with a group that makes pads for an orphanage in Haiti. It’s a tremendous feeling to help them!
Good for you!! It really feels good to give girls some dignity, doesn’t it?!?!
Oh what wonderful interesting women you have responding!
What I notice is they have done many things in their lives but most of all, is what they are giving and doing for others. We don’t think of that when we are young, but as we age, giving to others is the most important, feel good thing that we can do for ourselves.
And it all starts with opening the door for someone else or letting someone else go in front of you in a line at the grocery store.
Oh my where do I start. I was born in Eastern Iowa grew up in Northwest Iowa 1 of 10 children. A. Got a chance to move to dreamland aka California. It was ok but never dreamland. Married at 20. Had no children. Learned to be content with what God gave me which included all my nieces andnephews. Plus all the littles at church. Held good jobs all those years. At age 31 my husband got a divorce so he could go do what he wanted. We sold our home and I bought a mobile home with my own credit. At the age 33 met the love of my life. We married the followng spring and to our shock!!!! I got pregnant right away. Then with a baby due on Valentines she came a month early. From there on it was not easy but worth every moment. I lost my husband 11 years later . My daughter and I survived and pulled through the loss one minute at a time at 1st. I’ve been single since. But so much life and joy has happened. Put Jesus 1st. And things work out like you ( to quote my grandson) never had a problem. That was my best laugh in a long time. I gave him this bit of history. He said wow you still don’t look like you ever had any trouble. I’ll take that complement.
After reading all these I hope Kayla you stress to these students that life doesn’t end at 30 it really just start living a great life. I started my own preschool at age 55 and continued for the next 10 years. I had a year off before I took care of my aging mother in law for 9 months before she passed. My husband is retired after 40 years in the tire business and now works seasonally for a nut farmer.
I didn’t marry until I was 36 years old, to a man with a 4-year-old son. We bought a house the next year, and adopted a daughter a few years later. I was in my 40s by then. I was a stay at home mom, but as the kids grew older and more independent, I had more “me” time. That’s when I joined my quilt guild and started volunteering at school and at church.
It wasn’t just me, either. When I was 11; my mother, a nurse, started working as a substitute school nurse. Even 11-year-old me could see that she had found herself again. Mom started working on her Masters degree when I started high school and graduated four years later while raising 3teenagers and working as a nurse. Mom just turned 89 and still lives alone, although I think there will be a new cat in the future.
At age 33, I got a divorce and at age 34, my ex husband was murdered. I had 4 children. At age 34 I married a man from England and went on my first airplane trip. At age 37 I decided to go to college and get a degree. My husband had to be transferred to the DC area, I left my home city at age 44. I transferred colleges and graduated when I was 46 years old and got a job in Human Resources. By then I had traveled to England, Scotland and Wales, plus France and Italy. We then moved to Idaho where we went on day trips to Yellowstone, doing snowmobiling in the winter. I worked in a 2 person very tiny room doing payroll for a hospital, my supervisor had AIDS and later died from it, he was a hemophiliac. My husband retired and we came back home, he started a business with the Chinese and we traveled to China and Taiwan. He died very quickly from a brain tumor. I later married a good friend I had met when I was 11 years old, such a surprise. Since we’ve been married we have traveled to India, Africa, The Ulkraine, Russia and China. We rented cars in Paris and drove over the Alps to Italy, went to Hungary and ate food that I remembered from my childhood (grandparents were Austo-Hungarian). I’ve been to all 50 states several times and all the Caribbean Islands except Cuba. We have an RV and spent our winters traveling in the south, we leave soon for Harlingen TX where we will stay 2-3 months, going into Mexico each week for a good dinner. I’m 76 and my husband is 80. We also bought 3 houses that needed a complete remodel and that was after I was 55 years old. My life actually started after I turned 30 years old, I wouldn’t have it any other way. What an adventure!
I, too , thought that my life was settled at 30. Married, two kids, lovely home. One son has celiac disease wo had to learn all about gluten free diets. Well, then my husband and I started our own business. Moved. Regular life stuff. Family members passed away and we were responsible for adult parent care. I was diagnosed with an incurable auto immune disease at 44 and just had a kidney transplant at 59.
I fostered a few dogs. Was very active with my boys in their athletics and scouting. Had to be executor for my brother who passed intestate and also for my mother and father in law. Lots to learn there. Now I am learning about how to sell a business and transition to the next stage of our lives. The learning never ends. I thought once my kids were out of the house things would be quiet but there is always something to do. I am currently learning about quilting too.
In my early 30s, I moved from St. Paul, Minn. to get a job in Boston, Mass. This job involved traveling all over the 6 New England states.
With this job, I attended library conferences in the following cities: New York (saw Matthew Broderick on Broadway when he was just 18), San Francisco, Seattle (went to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia), Atlanta (went to Charleston and Savannah), Winnipeg, San Antonio, San Diego, and Cincinnati.
My salary gave me enough money to do more traveling. I took 2 trips to Hawaii. I traveled to other countries: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Ireland and a fabulous trip to Australia.
In Australia, I took trains from Sydney to visit Melbourne, Adelaide, and Coober Pedy. Coober Pedy is where the opal mines are located. I toured an opal mine, and I brought back some opals that I purchased from a merchant who had been to Appleton, Wisconsin. I will be retiring in a few months, and am planning a trip to Arizona for Milwaukee Brewers Spring Training. It only gets better after 30.
I was born in a little town outside Rotterdam. I had 2 older brothers and 2 older sisters (7,9,11,13yo). We moved to the USA when I was 5 months old landing in New York City and then across the USA to Los Angeles. The year was 1961. We had a sponsor that put Dad right to work milking dairy cows. The next year we moved to our own farm thanks to our sponsor/Dad’s uncle. Then when I was 10, Dad moved us to the Northwest and another dairy farm. Since I was 10 I had to start working on the farm, feeding cows, calves forking the hay back into the manger and when I was 12 I started driving farm equipment.
I met my husband when I was 16 in that small town. He is a miracle as he was born with a severe birth defect that killed children. An experimental surgery inserted a “throat” tube from the back of his mouth to his stomach. His birth defect had his breathing tube and the tube to the stomach (esophagus) as one tube so food goes to the lungs and that’s what babies were dying from.
I got to go “home” to Holland when I graduated from High school. Dad had enough money for our plane tickets and a car and we met tons of family and stayed with them for a month.
I married my high school sweetheart when I was 19.
I went to college right away because my whole life I wanted to work in SURGERY. In one year I was a surgical tech which means my job was arranging and passing the tools and sutures needed. I kept going to college to be a RN so I could do other jobs in Surgery. I got my Associate Degree at age 26 and still kept going to college and got my Bachelor’s Degree when I was 31. Meanwhile, my husband was getting his Bachelor’s degree in computer science. He has had many jobs with the same company at just 2.5 years ago moved into Cybersecurity at age 58! He loves it and is working on his 3rd certification.
We bought our first house when we were 22 and this (our final) house when we turned 29. We love our home and this small college town.
I had many different jobs once I had my Bachelor’s degree. I managed Neurosurgery, I managed Orthopedic Surgery, then an entire Orthopedic Service line (that includes all the places from the time you walk in to the time you go home). Then I built a same-day Surgery Center for a big group of Orthopedic Surgeons. We had a great team and we had so much fun while we were working very hard.
Our surgeons were very good to us. I was 40 years old when I did this. It was the best change of my career and a wonderful midpoint for my working life.
Through all of this, I have been a reader, cross-stitcher, a quilter, a downhill skier, a hiker and the occasional traveler. I love to see big cities but I never want to live in one.
My Dad died when I was just 33. My therapy was that I turned all of our backyard into food gardens with some flowers sprinkled in. I was very sad. He raised me to work hard so I went back to the soil and it helped me a lot.
My Mom died when I was just 46. My therapy was that I turned all of our front yard into food gardens with some flowers sprinkled in. I was very very sad because now I had no parent. Mom loved roses and peonies and there are some of each in my front yard. They are happy memories of Mom.
I retired right after I turned 58 years young. I make lots of quilts and donate them in our community. They go to hospitals for sick kids. They go to shelters for Moms and kids who escaped from abusive men and need a new start and someone who cares about them. They go to Ronald McDonald house. And last year I started making red/white/blue quilts for a friend who auctions items to raise money to meet needs of our US Veterans. Sometimes that is a pair of socks and sometimes it is a battery operated wheelchair.
I continue to garden growing as much food as I can. I enjoy making lots of canned salsa, tomato sauce and I love to cook ratatouille and freeze it so we have it all year round.
I have always loved reading . Reading keeps our brains growing. I have always loved jigsaw puzzles and they grow our brains too. It’s the year 2021 and I do lots of jigsaw puzzles online.
We never had children. I have 10 nieces and nephews. I have 12 great nieces and nephews and there is now a great-great on the way. So many people, so many babies over the years.
I turned 60 this year. I love a beautiful sunrise and sunset. I love snowstorms. I can’t wait to see what is next in life. I hope you will always look forward to each day even after you turn 30. :-)
I was the eldest of my parents 4 daughters. My mother sewed all our clothes and taught us to sew. By 13, I was making all my own clothes. I married at age 18 and he was 19. We had 2 children by the time I was 21. He became an alcoholic and we divorced after 16 years. A couple years before the divorce, I went for training to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). I was in my early 30’s. I remarried 11 years after the divorce. I had taken some college courses over the years. Then, at age 50, I went to nursing school full time and worked 12 hours shifts at the hospital on the weekends. My husband took early retirement and took care of the house, laundry, etc. while I was in school. At age 52, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). My husband, my parents, both my children, stepchildren, and grandchildren were all at graduation to see me walk across the stage for my diploma. A month later I passed the state boards to become an RN. At age 65 I retired and began quilting after the 1st year of retirement. My husband is 84 and I am 76 and we are still in fairly good health, but a bit slower than we used to be.
Just going to school seems like a drudgery now, but I can tell you that all of it helps you later on! I went to night school to get my four year degree. It took longer, but I worked as a temporary at many different companies to see what I would like doing best. When I was in my early 30’s I had a chance to start my own business quilting for others. After being in the corporate world which was really stressful, it was nice to take what I was really good at and make a living using my hands, creative part of my brain, and helping customers finish what they started to use for themselves, family, friends, Veterans, new born babies, and other people that need a hug only a quilt can give! If you are feeling at a loss as to what to do, go out and help someone else in a small way. All those small ways of giving to other build your confidence in yourself. Your todays are not all your tomorrows — you will see. Give yourself a chance to explore, ask questions. Just remember to listen. By the way, I’ll be celebrating 25 years of working for myself. I’m the best boss I ever had.
I had my 2nd son at 33 and then, at 34, decided I wanted to go to college (I didn’t go after high school). I graduated with a nursing degree 4 years later!! I worked as a nurse for 4 years then decided I wanted to work at American Airlines (for the free flights–HAHA). I got a job but only worked there for a year. My husband died 9 years ago from brain cancer (when I was 58). Now I quilt, crochet, cross-stitch, milk a few goats (not my goats) once a week and watch 2 big dogs 5 days a week (mostly for potty breaks). Exciting, huh? LOL
What fun it is to read all these wonderful responses!
At 25 I married my husband, and two years later started a direct mail advertising company. I had our daughter when I was 30, after three miscarriages. Two years later I had our son. I was 37 when I learned one of my heart valves had gone very bad, and had surgery to repair it. (Pretty experimental at that time!)
When I was 40 I completed a 60-mile, three-day walk for breast cancer, and a few years later was a weekend caretaker for my mother, who had Alzheimer’s. That was a difficult two years, as we lived in another state.
We believed strongly in a yearly family vacation and saw some wonderful places – Florence, Venice, Lake Louise and Banff, as well as many national parks in the U.S.
I partially retired at 55, and moved three hours north to a small beach town where I did much volunteer work – sewing dresses for little girls in Africa, participating in Days for Girls, and making quilts for foster kids. My hubby and I fully retired at 62, (bliss!) and moved this year to another state to be closer to our granddaughter. Next year we will celebrate our 40th anniversary. I thank God that he led my 25-year-old self to this man and the wonderful life we’ve had (and continue to have.)
Life certainly doesn’t end at 30 – it gets richer and better.
I was born in MN. I spent my sophmore and junior college years in Europe. Majored in German, and graduated in 1978. I was commissioned as a 2 LT in the USAF. Active duty in Nevada, then Korea. Met my husband in Hawaii. We were in the same career field but he was leaving HI to go to law schoool in Texas. Nice guy – thought I’d never see him again. I transferred to Wash DC. Left active duty for the AF Reserve. Got my Realtor’s license. Was called back to active duty for Desert Storm, as was my husband. We both joined a new reserve unit in DC in 1993. We married in 1994. I was 37, he was 42. We had our son in 1997 – I was 41. Dale and I were Individual Mobilization Augmentees in the Reserves and were basically on duty about 3/4 of the year. We had some really interesting assignments world-wide. Dale retired as a Lt Col in 2001. I was medically retired in 2003, also as a Lt Col, because of an injury while on a long assignment in Stuttgart Germany. Dale was a government employee in Iran and Afghanistan. He was also a Patent Attorney. Dale’s mother was a US/UK dual citizen. She lived with us for 3 years before her death in 2016. Dale keeps bees. I quilt. Our son has a BS in Metallurgical Engineering from the SD School of Mines and is about to finish an MS in Airworthiness Engineering. He and Dale are both private pilots, so I get an occasional joy ride. I think I am happier, and more satisfied with every year. Life is an adventure. Take evey opportunity to explore.
Life does get better and better. Getting older does mean experiencing lots (and in my case lots and lots) of losses but with help from God and good friends we learn to live with it and still have many happy times. We also don’t get mad as often and can take most things with a grain of sand. We also realize that life is short and we want to make the best of our days but in a relaxed manner. There are still many joys and as proof I will tell you this: at age 81 I am a new pwner of a new Long arm quilting machine and I am experiencing a new learning curve. Just this morning before sunrise i was up to work (play really) with my new toy!
I’m 58 years old. I graduated from high school at 17, attended vocational school and married my high school sweetheart at 19. I worked full time until I was pregnant with my first son at age 30. I became a stay at home mom and had my second son at age 34. I homeschooled my kids through their elementary years. I taught them to read and write; we took field trips to museums, the zoo, the aquarium. As a family we did Boy Scouts, AWANA and were active in all kinds of church activities and programs. I taught preschool and children’s Sunday school classes for years while my kids were growing up. When they attended school during middle school and high school, I drove for field trips and attended all baseball games (oldest son) and band performances (younger son). I met many people during this time and several are still in touch today. We are grandparents now to our 8 month old grandson and I keep him 1 or 2 days a week. We are now empty nesters as our youngest moved to an apartment in order to finish college. I still volunteer but my focus has changed a little. I participate in the red kettle bell ringing for the Salvation Army each season. I sew and crochet items for the gift shop at our local crisis pregnancy center. I have been learning to quilt, something I didn’t take time for before. I am blessed to have been able to be home. It has allowed me to be available for my family and others.
I got married when I was 47 yo. First marriage for both of us. We moved to Bangkok, Thailand with the Foreign Service and lived there for 3 years. Then we moved to Sarajevo, Bosnia. In 2008 we moved to Virginia to house and dog sit whem my sister’s husband died and she went to Iraq with the Foreign Service. My husband commuted to Washington, DC while I stayed in the country. After he retired we bought a 100 yo house and renovated it. Now we are planning on building a house on 57 acres in the country. We care for my mom, in our home. She is 92 yo. We are planning a nice cruise in 2023 after the house is built.
I graduated from nursing school in my 20’s, with a diploma or 3 year degree. I got my bachelors degree at the age of 55.
One fun thing I did was take a road trip to Atlanta with my daughter for an Ed Sheeran concert. We left Davidson, NC at 1 pm on a Friday, went to the concert that night, and was back home by 1030 am on Saturday so my daughter could go to chorale practice.
I went to England twice. Once when my daughter went to study abroad in Bristol. When she got ready to come home, her dad and I went over to pick her up. We visited Bath and Liverpool. We took a tour to learn about the Beatles, and went to The Cavern Club and Strawberry Fields.
I got married at 20, became and LPN that year, moved to a different city away from my family. Had a daughter at 24, returned to the hospital to work and started to go to school again for my RN. Didn’t finish it that time, and by age 30 I had birthed 2 more daughters. I did stay home w my kids and did home daycare to make ends meet. We bought our first house after the 3 rd daughter. At 38, I went back to school from my RN, and stopped doing day care switched to working w the school board as an LPN, preschool health. and weekends working private duty w “fragile” children. My husband left at 39, a few months before I was to finish my RN. Nursing jobs had a slump that year (age40) I didn’t get a job as an RN till 8 months later! And that was in a field I truly enjoyed Public health, home visits, and the. In the clinic.
I met my second husband a few months after that. Official Divorce took place at 45, married the year after. Sold my house 2 times during that, and moved 2 times too. At age 51 I completed my BSN. Retired at age 60. During all of that time I have also become a quilter, and learned how to use a quilting machine too .
Life after 30??? I had two children; traveled to Fiji; did a couple of cruises; went to Japan, Europe as well as National Parks [mostly west of the Mississippi River. When I retired in 2004, I was able to do more quilting, reading, and travel. I still had time for volunteer work at the art museum as well as for my church.
Mine is a multi-generational story of life is always about setting goals and trying to achieve them. Both my parents got their first degrees in the years they turned 70. They worked at it slowly over time and enriched our lives with their learning.
Six and a half years ago my daughter, then 33, was trying on my clothes (they fitted around her at least 3 times) and we were talking about what other people were doing. She was a midwife. I said to her, which by the way is the question we should all ask ourselves often, “is there anything that you are going to wish you had done at the end of your life” and she replied she was going to wish she was a doctor.
There are only 2 medical schools in New Zealand and so she applied to Otago under the graduate process. Under this process you can only ever apply once and if you don’t get in that is it. Well in her year 400 people applied and 40 were chosen for interviews, 20 were chosen to do 1st year and 12 made it in to 2nd year. She graduated this year, top of the whole medical school class about (600) which is one of the most competitive programmes in New Zealand to achieve in. She will now go on to specialise, probably ICU, which will take another 5 or 6 years and she will become a real asset to our country.
My word is that it is never too late to set goals, never too late to make a difference in the lives of others and never too late to make changes to your life patterns. The trick is to do it with grace.
After 30 – when my boys were old enough they joined Boy Scouts of America and Cub Scouts. I became a den leader and then assistant scoutmaster. Many enjoyable years were spent learning new outdoor skills and guiding my boy crew to Eagle Scouts. Went back to school when my daughter was three and got my teaching certificate in Reading, then dyslexia training, then English as a Second Language training. I have since retired and each year my sons and I go on at least one hiking trip in a National park. I also substitute teach and love on my one grandbaby. Still active, still learning. Also garden, saltwater fish, and quilt.
Hi Jo & Kayla and kids!
My life really STARTED at 33, when I met my handsome and loving husband. Up till that time, I was married to my career, and working two full timers jobs too make ends meet. I had 2 dogs and a rabbit; he had 3 kids. When we blended, we bought a farm, adding chickens, and a whole slew more rabbits! We sold the farm and moved to North Carolina where we worked and volunteered for March of Dimes for another 9 years. All the kids got married and gave us grandchildren during that time. Then we retired and sold everything except our truck, trailer, the dog and a sewing machine and hit the road! We traveled the country, working at various parks and campgrounds. One of your best “jobs” was living and working at a National Wildlife Refuge, on 26,000 acres, doing trail maintenance and other odd jobs around the Refuge, during the peak of the pandemic.
Here we are, several years later, and we have them camper and bought a house and a longarm!!
Following in my mom and dad’s footsteps (she got her Master’s when I was 24, and he went to law school when I was in 7th-9th grades), I graduated with my B.S. in Elementary Education 1 semester before my oldest graduated from high school and with my Master’s in Special Education 1 semester before my middle daughter graduated from high school. Fell in love with a guy living in a different state and moved up there to live on a farm when I was 50. Found quilting when I was 53 and started longarm quilting for others less than a year later. I moved back to my home town in 2017 to care for my dad until his death in 2021. Along the way I got 11 grandchildren with another one due next spring. I’ve traveled to South Korea, Australia, several places in the Caribbean and went to England with some wonderful quilting buddies from Florida (they saved my sanity when I was house/pet sitting for my daughter while she was deployed to Afghanistan). I also learned how much fun zip-lining is even though I’m afraid of heights!
I’ll start at 30—it really is awesome here!
I had my second boy! My husband got a promotion and we moved to a new town (an hour away from where we lived for 6 years and further away from our families) where I had the opportunity to stay home with my two boys, which then became three boys when I was 33. I’m still at home with them, taking a break from teaching but keeping up with my teaching license by taking classes. In the evenings I am an assistant for a friend and I ship stuff for her business and it’s great fun! I’m currently 35 and am loving who I am, where I am in life, have wonderful friendships, and am looking forward to my boys growing up and traveling more!!!
Hi Jo, and greetings from Australia!
I totally agree that life gets more interesting and busier the older you get. Here are some of the things that I’ve done –
I became a Christian in my late teens
I married a wonderful guy that I still love nearly 36 years on.
I had three beautiful daughters within 4 years, my youngest at 30.
I trained as a nurse before I got married and left to care for our girls.
I was a stay at home Mum for 14 years and loved it!
I went back to nursing to help provide for our family, which led to…
Becoming a midwife at age 44.
I have been a midwife for the last 15 years
I also learned patchwork and quilting and am also a cross stitcher.
I now have 2 beautiful grandsons
I will be retiring soon, which will give me more time to help my daughters and spend time with my grandboys, spend more time with my elderly Mum, but also SEWING!!!
I intend to sew up a storm in my retirement, as well as do some volunteering, go bush walking with my darling husband.
To your daughter- she can tell her kids that life definitely doesn’t get more boring after 30, quite the opposite
God bless you and your family. I do say a prayer for you as you deal with your health issues. Take care
My parents came to NY in 1949 from their home country of Bretagne (Saint Lunaire ) And my mom from Alsace-Lorraine. They opened a restaurant in NYC called Mon Paris. I was the 4th of 5 children. My older brothers and sister lived in NJ with the family who was sponsoring my parents. But I lived with mom and dad as they worked the restaurant. I slept in a dresser drawer as a baby there. I never knew any of my French family as my folks didn’t talk about the war. In 1963 they sold the restaurant and moved the four of us to East Hampton Long Island. It was a small town where everyone knew each other and the sidewalks rolled up at 5 pm. I never knew I was living in the heart of where the rich and famous played… At 13 yrs I decided to move out and become a live in mother’s helper. This was to ease the burden on my parents budget. I also worked for a cleaning business after school and on weekends served ice cream. Each job paid $3 an hour. I was able to buy my first pair of blue jeans with bell bottoms. In 1975 my dear brother Pat was killed in a car accident. I was supposed to be with him but changed my mind. It was the the before Mother’s Day. The other person with him died too. I lived with guilt for surviving. I was 15 yrs old. I got married at 16 to a boy in my hometown who was then in the Navy – Vietnam vet era. We lived in Jacksonville Fl and there I had my two girls. In 1980 we were stationed in Brooklyn NY and I had my son. I was 21. I wanted 8 children but I almost died with him doing couldn’t have anymore. We were Navy till 1986. We were in a bad car accident and I was diagnosed with MS. In a wheelchair paralyzed on one side. We moved to Fla. and my dr was a Christian of Jewish heritage. I told him one day I planned to walk where Jesus walked. In 1997 my dad died at his job. Age 73 – at Gov Rockefeller’s estate in Sleepyhollow NY. I received an inheritance and travelled to France in search of my family and to Israel and was Baptized in the Jordan River. My husband is a disabled vet and I am his caregiver. When my girls were little I sewed them dresses and made extras for the little girls in the neighborhood who were poor. I started making quilts when I realized that they were pretty cool and someone had given me a sack of polyester squares. I made quilts for a shelter in Las Vegas when the Lord impressed upon my heart that not all that is glitz and glamor is good. That many women and children suffer abuse in these places. I made other things like Angel costumes for plays and for Easter. I enjoy creating- and although recently it’s been a struggle thru Covid and family domestic issues. When my husbands service dog went blind I made a quilt to raffle off for her surgery of $3,000 ( one armed as I had surgery on my rotator cuff) I have moved so much. NY -5 times -Florida (4 times) Ga (2 times) Tn, Colorado Kansas (2 times)Nebraska -Texas twice. I’m 62 and 1/2 and I’m here now for good. It’s Beautiful here in Llano Tx. Come visit some time. I’m a granny and great granny and my two girls have both lost children. My eldest lost two boys both times at 6 month because of the cord strangulation. My youngest is unable to “house” a child and lost the one IVF that was performed. My saddest moments are knowing she can’t have the one thing she wants most in life. She’s afraid to adopt and have the person change their mind. My son is single and serves The Lord with all his soul. My hope is to reach out to others here and share the wonderful Community Blessings with others. I am especially fond of elderly people as they have so much to teach us. Alzheimer’s patients break my heart. I am also thankful to all who served our Country. Because without them we would not be Free. And Thankful to My Lord for more than I can express. I’m not in a wheelchair and no longer on meds. I have MS but it doesn’t have me. God told me to Trust Him and I do.
A full life begins anew at each stage of aging. I’ve been a mischievous kid, a responsible (but secretly wild) teenager, a college grad, a wife and fun-loving adult. In my twenties, I became a mother and left the beaches of Southern California where I was raised and moved to the mountains of Utah. In my thirties I raised a family and started a new career. In my forties i became a grandmother and had my artwork published in magazines. In my fifties I retired, worked a part-time fun job on a farm and visited the Bahamas. In my sixties I have visited Africa and gone on safari. I do volunteer work for kids. There is always something new and exciting to do and to learn. Stay curious and keep your sense of wonder and discovery. Life is not defined by a number.
When I met my husband while in college in 1986, he told me he had a dream of building his own airplane someday. This year that dream came true. It took 35 years for that goal to be met, but the rewards of hard work & determination can not be put into words.
Life after 30:
I finished my BA in 1999 when I was 43.
I went on my first and second cruise when I was in my 50’s with my mother, first we went to Alaska and later to Asia and Australia.
I started quilting in early 2000’s when I was in my 40’s. I help make Quilts of Valor and other charities and also quilt for myself.
My husband and I moved to our retirement destination 2.5 years ago and bought our home. We’ve been married for 41 years.
I had our son at 29.5 and he is now a Staff Sargeant in the Army.
Life at 30: 15 or so years of quilting behind me. Married nearly 5 years, 1 year old daughter
Life after 30: son born.
My husband and I purchased our own business that I run to this day. (He died 8 years ago last Sunday.)
Raised my 2 children, participated in their school activities. I was a soccer and ballet mom. :)
I went on school sponsored trips as a paying “guest” with other moms or as a chaperone to NY, NY one year and to France/Germany another.
As a family we enjoyed many weekends at “the cabin” about an hour boat ride away. (running cold water only…if we could get it to prime and run!)
Every summer we flew, or embarked on the 6 hour ferry ride then drove the 24 hours, from my home to my parents home in WA state for 3-6 weeks in the summers so the children could know them as they didn’t travel much. My kids still talk about the trips. and what we saw along the way.
I had the joy of seeing both my kids choose to be baptized, graduate high school, and attend college.
I saw my daughter off in January of her 2nd year of college to Lithuania (cold, winter time) for a semester abroad. I met her in Copenhagen in May, we flew to Rome where she and I celebrated her 20th birthday. We traveled through Italy, Austria, Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden before flying back home.
She is a CPA in the state she went to College in. My son came back home to assist with the family business 4-5 months before my husband’s death. It is a joy to work with him and see him a few times each week.
I celebrated the wedding/marriage of my daughter after her college graduation. (even now I get teary eyed at remembering that event)
Celebrated the birth of 3 grandchildren! (more tears)
Since turning 55 a few years ago, I’ve traveled to Ireland, United Kingdom, (Scotland), China, and twice to Italy. When the pandemic ends I have plan to travel to Peru/Brazil, New Zealand/Australia, Spain/Portugal/Morocco, and Iceland.
I was privileged to be able to celebrate my mom’s 90th birthday and my Aunt’s, on the other side of the family, 95th earlier this fall.
Yes, I’ve seen more than my share of loved ones die. 13 other friend’s husbands died in less than 24 months after my husband’s death. Numerous relatives have passed on. But it has shown me the depth of friendships made through the years.
What I learned about myself, the depth of love, compassion, perseverance, resilience, to name a few, after 30 way surpasses the prior 30 years!
Life begins at 30!
By the time I was thirty, I had 5 wonderful kids. We remade our home from a one story to a two story with a bit more room. I did daycare in my home until youngest child was in middle school and then became a teachers assistant in a school for kids with special needs. Throughout the years I went on missions trips to places like Mexico, China, Russia, Poland, Costa Rica and more. I also worked in a quilt store for several years and loved to make quilts for the grandkids that arrived. I now have 16 of them and a great grand. My oldest daughter passed this year in March the same day our youngest son found out his baby has leukemia. We have had some ups and downs in life. That’s the way life is….it’s not always fun! But, we take everyday as it comes and make the best of it with Gods help. P.S. I have been married to the same wonderful man I married when I was 19. We will celebrate our 50th anniversary next year!
I was valedictorian of my nursing school class when I was 19… by time I was 24 I was burned out from working in ICU’s and became recreation director at a resort. Because of my nursing background, the local volunteer EMS made me the first responder for our resort, on a lake in the Hill Country of Texas. And when an EMT class was offered, my late husband and I both became EMTs – then Paramedics. I was top graduate in my EMT-P class at age 38… Retired at the end of 2020 after 28 years as a Paramedic with the largest EMS provider in the USA – 14 years of which were spent as Transport Coordinator at the busiest Level 1 Trauma hospital in the USA… so YES – lots left to life after age 30, God willing
I am currently 51. I have had goals for each decade of my life.
After college, by the time I was 30, I wanted to married and maybe have kids OR very content. I wanted to be a homeowner. When I turned 30, I was married and pregnant and we had a home we owned.
For age 40, I wanted to complete my MBA and enjoy my child. I turned 40 during my last term of grad school.
For ago 50, I pretty much had no concrete goals except to enjoy my child and my life. I was able to take my kid to Puerto Rico, Savannah, GA (a Girl Scouts thing) and Europe (another Girl Scouts thing) and enjoy her. My husband switched jobs and became happier. My dad became ill and died, but I was able to drive home every weekend for the last 6 months of his life and enjoy him.
For age 60, my goals are as follows: get out of all debt. No more mortgage, replace and pay off cars, all credit card debt, my parent loans for my child’s college, etc. Buy a long arm. Set up a side gig. Reduce possessions. Set up our affairs so that when we die, my child will not have a mess to deal with (recent COVID death in the family that I have to clean up). Visit all MLB baseball parks with my husband. Buy land.
Please note that during all of this (in no particular order), I was pregnant 4 times and lost 3 of those children. My husband was diagnosed with diabetes in the last 2 months of my dad’s life. My sister died of COVID last month. 15 years ago, we moved 2 hours away from my sister, who lived 4 blocks away. We had to reestablish a network of friends and support. For me, jobs changed a lot within the company I’m at. Etc. etc. Goals provided something to focus on while swimming through all of the rest of it.
Goals can also be as simple as learn to make Hot and Sour soup, which was a pandemic goal and it’s delicious!