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Marshal turns 29 years old today. I turn 29 in April. It’s hard to believe we’re not only in our dreaded “upper twenties,” but we’re actually looming over the doorstep of, dare I say it … 30! When did that happen?

Marsh and I met when I was a young and vibrant 21-year-old. He was 22 and in the prime of his swimming career at the University of Connecticut. At that age, you feel invincible. You never think twice about getting older or what changes you go through as you age. You don’t think about your knee being sore after a run, or a few wrinkles setting up shop on your face. And you certainly don’t think twice about ordering a venti triple caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream every single day. (Is it bad that I’m salivating?)

Now, as we enter into the final year of our twenties, we’ve begun to realize that it takes more effort to take care of ourselves and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s no wonder that maturity and responsibility come with age – you need to have those qualities in order to keep up with the realization that you’re no longer able to pull all-nighters and live off of Red Bull and M&M’s (although that does sound tempting).

But that fleeting lifestyle is over. And in a way, I’m happy about that. Being young obviously has its wondrous benefits. It’s fun and carefree, and it’s a time when you can learn a lot about yourself and what you want in your life. You have little to worry about, and seemingly all the free time in the world. But I wouldn’t go back to that time in my life for anything. It was wonderful, but I’m content where we are today. I love being married to my best friend, making decisions together, and moving on to the next phase of our lives together.

Although being in this phase of our lives is very exciting and rewarding, and exactly where we want to be, it doesn’t mean we’re sitting here swapping high-fives about another year passing by. Granted, being 29 doesn’t mean we’ve got one foot in the grave, but we’re not spring chickens anymore either. No one likes getting older, and if you do, you must be lying to yourself or in some shocking state of denial. I always remember the adults in my life saying things like, “Enjoy it while you can, being young doesn’t last forever,” and “The older you get, the faster the time goes by.” Never have these statements felt true until now. Every year, time goes by more and more quickly. Looking back, you almost can’t account for where it all went. And of course, all I keep hearing is that as soon as you have children, it all goes by faster than the speed of sound.

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