13 Reasons 30 is way better than 20

Some 20-year-olds want to be older. Some 40-year-olds want to be younger. All 30-year-olds want to be 30, because 30 is pretty great. Getting older isn’t always easy, but it isn’t always terrible either.

Here’s a list of reasons 30 is better than 20:

1. We know ourselves enough to say no.

At 20, we were pressured into doing all sorts of things we didn’t want to do: drinking 14 beers in an hour, going on dates with pushy and terrible people because we felt bad saying no, joining a sorority or fraternity, skydiving and at least 600 other things.

2. We know when someone isn’t a good friend.

School is over. We no longer have to hang out with people we don’t want to hang out with. If someone we consider a friend isn’t treating us the way we want to be treated, we don’t have to have that person in our life. It’s that easy. Bye, Felicia.

3. We know how to be a good friend.

We’ve had enough bad friends to know how to be a good one.

4. We know our alcohol limit.

And we can legally drink it. We have the self-control to cut ourselves off when we need to. If we don’t feel like drinking, or if we don’t drink at all, we can do it without people questioning our ability and desire to have a great time (people may still question us, but those people are probably 20).

5. We are making money.

We no longer need our parents to take us shopping (unless they want to), and we can afford to take them out to dinner (unless they want to pay). Money buys things, and having things is nice.

6. No more Ikea.

Now that we have some money, we don’t have to spend six hours putting together a nightstand, and then realize we attached a slab of wood backwards, then spend another six hours taking it apart and putting it back together again. We can afford already-made furniture.

7. We aren’t embarrassed to buy tampons, condoms or pregnancy tests.

Okay, maybe we still are, but at least now the cashier won’t look at us like we are breaking the law.

8. We can cook.

Knowing how to cook means we can host dinner parties that don’t involve keg stands and frozen pizzas.

9. We know how to operate the volume button.

We listen to music at a level that won’t cause temporary or permanent deafness.

10. We are no longer someone’s assistant.

No more fetching coffee, lunch or someone’s dry-cleaning. We may even have our own assistant!

11. No more solo cups.

Solo cups are great for lots of reasons, but wine isn’t one of them. Twenty-year-olds aren’t good at owning and not breaking wine glasses, but 30-year-olds are!

12. We get along with our parents.

It’s taken 30 years for our parents to understand us and for us to understand our parents. We are around the age they were when we were born. We understand that they won’t be around forever, and we truly want to get to know them.

13. If we’re gay, we’re out and happy.

Now that we are comfortable with ourselves and confident in who we are, being gay is just a part of life. It’s not a secret we need to hide or something we need to worry will hurt our chances at success. We’re happy, and people are happy we’re happy.

Featured images via TheFrisky, Shutterstock, Ithacaaudio