As I enter my 50s, which are the new 20s, I'm finally free

The writer discovers the joy of having time for herself as she reconnects with old friends.

- Chang May Choon

The clock is ticking away, the countdown to my 50th birthday has begun.

It's a milestone year for me and my peers. "We have lived half a century — isn't that amazing?" one of them typed in a group chat.

At 50, age is giving me a reality check. It is also giving me a ticket to freedom.

Much of my past two decades had been devoted to raising a child and taking care of the extended family, while juggling a hectic journalism career.

Life has given me wrinkles, white hairs, flab, and a compromised memory that makes my daughter snigger and tease: "Early-stage dementia, mama?"

But at the half-century mark, with my teenager becoming more independent and my mum still in good health, I can finally afford to put aside some family commitments and focus on myself again.

In my 50s, I'm starting to feel like I'm in my 20s, a period during which I did fun and crazy things with childhood friends. The timing could not be better, as they too are now free to pursue interests they had put on hold for a long time.

GIRLY PURSUITS

For a start, we can go on girly vacations again. Three of us are planning a "Shanghai 50" trip in June, which we intend to fill with memories to last a lifetime.

I visited Shanghai and Beijing in mid-2024, but the itinerary leaned heavily on family fun rollercoaster rides and cosmetics shopping for the teenager, farm visits for the grandma, and night markets for the uncle.

This time, we (old) girls are just going to pamper ourselves and do what we like. Like giggly teenagers looking forward to our first-ever overseas trip, we have been gathering to discuss the details and sharing reels of Instagrammable places to visit.

Enjoy a feast fit for a king dressed in hanfu, or traditional Han Chinese clothing. Check.

Sip Chinese tea inside a traditional siheyuan, or courtyard house. Check.

Party at the iconic Paramount, the epitome of Shanghai nightlife from the 1930s. Check.