This Is What Being 30 Looks Like Around The World

Name: Andualem
Age: 32
Occupation: Watchman and fisherman
What’s your favourite memory? “I was driving a group of German tourists throughout the South Omo Valley... They brought clothes for the kids in the tribes and gave them $80... This gesture of kindness really moved me.” 

Rajasthan, India

Name: Prerana
Age: 32
Occupation: Housewife
What’s your greatest achievement? “I am proud that my mother in law thinks I am a good daughter in law... And we share a very nice bond, which is not always the case. We talk and share our feelings a lot.”

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Name: Leandro
Age: 35
Occupation: Creative retoucher
Ten years ago, where did you think you’d be at 30? “In terms of personal life, like every teenager, I pictured myself as a married man with children [at 30]... Today, my life is quite different from what I pictured 10 years ago... I do have a girlfriend, but I am not married, and I do not have children.” 

Cape Town, South Africa

Name: Monique
Age: 30
Occupation: Baker
What’s been the most memorable event of your personal life? “When I got married in 2010, as we worked a lot on knowing each other and asking the right questions.” 

Auckland, New Zealand

Name: Anousith
Age: 31
Occupation: Entrepreneur and physiotherapist
Where did you think you’d be living at 30? “I arrived in [New Zealand] when I was six, and I was told that I would spend my life here... I knew that coming from Laos, I was pretty lucky to be here and that it would be hard to leave [for] anywhere in the world because I would get a better lifestyle here.” 

Hiroshima, Japan

Name: Ami
Age: 30
Occupation: Banker
What’s been the most memorable event of your personal life? “My son’s birth was such a happy moment... And it really changed my life. After his birth, I was much more sensitive, very stressed and had much more responsibilities.” 

Budapest, Hungary

Name: Zoltan
Age: 31
Occupation: Project manager at a web developer company
Now that you’re 30, do you feel “old” or “still young”? “In my mind, I haven’t aged since my twenties. My friends and I grew up at the same time, we still experience the same kind of things. So we don’t see ourselves ageing.” 

Puerto Tranquilo, Chile

Name: Magdalena
Age: 31
Occupation: Agronomy student
How did you decide on this job? “As a child I wanted to be a veterinarian because I love animals. I don’t know why I did not study for it... because even today I would love to work with animals... Instead, I studied agronomy.” 

Paris, France

Name: Anne
Age: 29
Occupation: Consultant
How do people change by the time they turn 30?: “I would say that you learn how to enjoy simple pleasures in life and stop having too high expectations. As a consequence, my priorities have changed: Work and money is less important than before, whereas quality of life and family is [becoming] more important. I feel like [I’m just beginning] to understand what happiness is.” 

Seoul, South Korea 

Name: Jun Ho
Age: 30
Occupation: Product merchandiser
What’s been the most memorable event of your personal life? “The time I spent in the UK in 2013 really was a turning point in my life. I decided to take a career break, which is not really common in South Korea, and go to spend a year in the UK to learn English and volunteer in an organisation that helps disabled people. It was an important experience because I felt free... I think it is the dream of [everyone’s], to feel free without stress and concern.”