Hi everyone! Another year has come and gone, and once again, I spent New Year's quietly with my parents. It was a bit of a somber moment for me, as I'm realizing that in just a few years, I'll be turning 40.
At my age, living a simple life and being single doesn't bother me much. It's not adulthood itself that feels daunting—it's the reality of aging. My body no longer feels as youthful, and maintaining my diet or enjoying things that others might find suitable seems more challenging now. Yet, there's a part of me that appreciates the process of growing older and maturing. Each year brings new experiences and insights that I couldn't have grasped before. Aging has taught me resilience, patience, and how to better understand my emotions. Despite it all, I still feel like my 25-year-old self, cherishing the freedom to choose what I love—playing games, traveling, collecting cute things, watching anime, and indulging in hobbies that bring me joy.
At this stage of life, I find myself meeting potential partners who are focused on building a family than that when I was still 25 years old, where . It's not the idea of being "not married yet" that unsettles me; it's the thought of life after marriage. Many of my friends struggle to make ends meet and keep their families together. It's eye-opening to see how common it is for marriages to face challenges, even after just a few years. The "what ifs" cross my mind—what if my future husband ends up feeling the same? Life, as always, is full of surprises. But, I am still keeping my thought to build my own family.
On a brighter note, I've discovered that I can do things now that I once thought impossible when I was younger. As they say, "the older you get, the more experiences you encounter, shaping who you become." It's true—life's challenges and triumphs have made me braver and more capable.
That said, New Year's isn't my favorite time of year. I haven't been able to travel to the places I've dreamed of visiting at this point in my life. There are still so many things I want to do, but for now, they're just out of reach.
Despite occasionally thinking I've grown older, I never truly feel that way when I'm out with people my age. It often feels like we're back in our university days, still youthful and energetic. Perhaps this is because I frequently interact with Gen Z, who are just entering the workforce, which keeps me feeling that I am old.
