Lifestyle — Adulting: 21st Birthdays VS. 31st Birthdays
by Rebecca Jones

Are 30s really the new 20s? Or are 20s still the best time of our lives? To be honest, adulting can be tough and as I'm approaching my late 20s, I hope the first is true.

Being in your 20s is a wonderfully messy time. All the stereotypes apply: You're energetic, confused, horny, in love, in hate and often drunk in the middle of the day. If you're in college, your day consists of class, naps, Chipotle, studying, Potbelly and drinking beer on a lawn somewhere (that may just be me).

According to Dr. Meg Jay, your 20s are the most defining decade of your life. It's a time when building solid relationships and making smart decisions about your career is vital for a successful future.

It's also a really fun time, especially in your early 20s, and especially on your 21st birthday. What's more hyped -- other than your wedding or your bar mitzvah -- than your 21st birthday? It's the night you show all the bouncers you tried to trick in the past with a fake ID, or without any ID at all, that you are legal to drink as many vodka Redbulls as you please.

Carrying that behavior into your old age doesn't look so hot. Have you ever seen a 30-year-old passed out on a lawn, surrounded by red Solo cups? I haven't, but I can only hope that ain't me. Thankfully, our energy levels are literally lower in our 30s, and the partying we did in our 20s is, as they say, out of our system (for the most part…).

In our 30s, we can look forward to chill, backyard parties and lots of wine, because apparently it's more “adult” than those Four Lokos we drank in 2008. While our friends may be fewer, we'll feel more solid in who we are and may even have started a family of our own. Let's hope that's how it really is…

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