The pandemic has robbed us of our time – our expectations, our plans. But time is also constant: regardless of the pandemic, it will continue. And despite these difficult circumstances, the reality is that you will still be entering a new age.
I turned 29 – not necessarily a milestone – on June 5, 2020 when we were still very locked. I had to think small and intimate. But last month, on my 30th, my day started with a surprise visit from my friend’s masseuse. And then surprise number two: afternoon tea on a yacht. It was wonderful.
I had always planned to have a party for my 30th birthday, but instead I had a private dinner party with close friends that night. It had been a very long time since I had seen so many of my loved ones in the same room, that was something very special.
I know that for so many, the age of 30 is associated with a lot of social pressure. Before my birthday, I tried not to internalize this pressure. I asked myself questions like, ‘What do I really want?’ Social media can make you feel like you are or are in a certain place in life – but, as we pursue the things we want, are we grateful for what we have now?
“I went from 30 to 40 and lost an important year of my life”
Lynsey Carratt, 40, a director at E20 Communications, from London
