This NY Magazine article, Single Women Are Our Most Potent Political Force by Rebecca Traister, was sent to me two days ago, and wow – I can’t stop thinking about it. The article (though not explicitly about this) cited many reasons why being single until you’re later in life can be very beneficial. Most startling was this nugget:

The “Knot Yet Report,” published in 2013, revealed that a college-educated woman who delays marriage until her 30s will earn $18,000 more per year than an equivalently educated woman who marries in her 20s. Women without college degrees also gain a wage premium if they delay marriage into their 30s, though only an average of $4,000 a year.

I know a lot of amazing, very intelligent unmarried women in their 30s. Myself included. And sometimes, I feel ‘less than’ my married counterparts, or I question whether something is inherently wrong with me that I haven’t married yet. But this article made me feel powerful and part of a group. I didn’t realize how large the demographic of us single women was. Here’s a small excerpt from the article:

In 2009, the proportion of American women who were married dropped below 50 percent. In other words, for the first time in American history, single women (including those who were never married, widowed, divorced, or separated) outnumbered married women. Perhaps even more strikingly, the number of adults younger than 34 who had never married was up to 46 percent, rising 12 percentage points in less than a decade.

It’s nice to hear realize you could be part of a major societal shift and not even realize it.

Happy 2016, everyone! We’re so excited that you’re on this journey of discovery with us, and we can’t wait to share our 2016 with you.

While I’m excited and hopeful for what 2016 will bring, I’ve been fighting a prevailing feeling of fear about the uncertainty in my life. It seems there’s so much to figure out that I don’t know where to begin; where to take action first or what the action steps are exactly. Have you ever felt that way?

I thought that by now, at 33, I’d have at least one part of my life “sorted out.” Perhaps I wouldn’t be happily married, but I’d have a great career. Or, I’d be happily married and still working to figure out my career. But I feel as though I’m still trying to figure both of those areas of my life out, so it feels as though I’m treading water.

Here’s the thing though. Deep down, I believe that I’m going to get to a more stable, happy place. I don’t know when and I don’t know exactly how, but I feel confident about it. The feeling reminds me of this quote that an amazing friend sent to me:

Isn’t that beautiful? I think it’s a great reminder that we evolve and grow as we’re meant to. Maybe one year is awful, and the next makes up for it in a huge way. And by having faith in that, we can relax and be gentler with ourselves. At least that’s my hope for myself.

So, here’s to a fresh and hopeful start in 2016! Everything is moving as it should.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the markers that seem to differentiate people in their 30s. In our early to mid-20s, it seemed as though we were all on the same path – trying to find our careers and our own identities. There was always common ground on which to relate.

But now, two people in their 30s can be vastly different because of their choices on marriage, children, career and finances. Home owning is also one of those markers.

The average age for a first-time homeowner is between 31 and 34, depending on what study you’re looking at. I’ve even read some studies that put the age for first homeownership at 39. So it’s hard to say what’s exactly accurate.

One thing is for sure, though. People are waiting longer for first homeownership. Maybe that’s the economy or student loans or a host of other factors like people marrying later.

Personally, I’m not at all close to buying for two equally measured reasons. Firstly, I don’t have enough saved for a down payment. And secondly, I’m not sure where I would want to buy a place. I haven’t settled on my “heart home” or “forever home.”

How about you? Do you think you’ll own a home in your 30s, or do you already?

Here are some fun facts about first time home buyers:

Six Interesting Things About First Time Home Buyers