I'm not acting my age.

And I'm kind of glad that I'm not.

Here for this week’s Tarot for Change book club discussion? Join in the conversation about Strength through Temperance in the major arcana.

I turn 34 today.

In the weeks leading up to my birthday, I didn’t feel any sort of way about this particular number. 34 isn’t a milestone birthday in the traditional sense; it’s just shy of 35 and decidedly removed from 30. 34 feels like the oversized denim shirt I often throw on over outfits: it serves a purpose, but it’s unremarkable. It’s just sort of…there.

Truthfully, I don’t think about my age a lot. When you’re surrounded by teenagers all day like I am in my job as a teacher, you become whatever age you need to be in the moment: I can channel a goofy 12 year old who laughs at TikToks just as easily as I can slip into the role of a 40-something mom who needs to reign things back in.

My students often try to guess how old I am, and they’re usually wrong. Their answers run the gamut from mid-20s (those kids got automatic As) to late 30s. I take this struggle to pinpoint my age as a compliment: agelessness is something I aspire towards. To me, to release the need to do things according to your age means that I have given myself the gift of authenticity. I can reinvent myself whenever I please, and it’s never too late. I like to think that this permission to stop putting a number on things helps me keep a youthful spirit.

One thing’s for certain: I will never turn down a donut, no matter what age I am.

As I enter my 34th year, I decided to write a list in celebration of the ways I’ve chosen not to “act my age.” Choosing to live life on my terms is a form of everyday magic that I know will, without a doubt, age well.