After opening up my home to new people each week, eating good food, and sitting around for hours having incredible conversations, I finally had this realization last night.
I don’t need people in my age group to connect.
I know that some girls around my age are thinking things like, “I just need to find more people around my age to connect with.” Or something along those lines.
And I think it’s this common assumption that if you hang out and make friends with people with a more noticeable age gap, they just can’t relate to you (or vice versa).
I get it. Some topics are just going to be more commonly discussed within certain generations.
But other than that, it’s just not true.
I’ve had people around my age over, and while we’ve had good conversations, I’d honestly say I appreciated the ones I had with those 20+ years older even more.
And I’m not saying that to make anyone who’s younger feel bad (at all).
But what I am saying is that I’ve found that the conversations got so much deeper, meaningful, and we could perfectly relate to each other.
They listened, they asked questions, they were interested, and in turn, we gave them the same kind of attention.
It felt so beautiful to be seen and understood, while also loving the stories, thoughts, and advice I got from someone in a different age group.
And then I realized that yes, these were the kind of people I could go out and have coffee with any day of the week.
Now I’m not saying I haven’t had great moments of connection and deep conversations with people around my age.
What I am saying is that while there was an age gap, the relationship gap wasn’t really there.
We just got each other.
And maybe people in their 20’s and 30’s got this impression because they were used to interacting with their parents and they’re there to guide and help them grow more than just be a friend. And I get it, that was me as well.
But after these dinner party interactions, I realized that belief would need to be thrown out.
They also used to be my age and had nothing less to offer. They didn’t treat me like I was a dumb young person, and in their stories and thoughts I could see the same hopes, fears, and excitement I feel now.
It reminded me that connection isn’t about age, but about recognizing ourselves in each other and wanting to go deeper.
Grace Moser is the author and founder of Chasing Foxes, where she writes articles to help women create a life they love in big and small ways. She's been a full-time traveler since 2016 and loves sharing her experiences and exploring the world with her husband, Silas. Her lifestyle and travel advice can also be seen on sites such as Business Insider, Glamour, Newsweek, Huffpost, & Apartment Therapy.