be 30 years old

French photographer Stefan Dominguez decided to find out what his peers around the world think about their age. To do this, he went on a trip around the world. Through portraits and short interviews, he managed to paint a more or less big picture. Some of his characters already have children, others live alone, someone considers himself old, someone - on the contrary. The photographer called his project "Being 30".

(Total 27 photos)

1. “I feel both old and young at the same time. On the one hand, life taught me a lot, I went through a lot. But on the other hand, I like to do stupid things and do spontaneous things.” (Diana, nutritionist, Sydney, Australia)

2. “They say that at 30 there is certainty about who you are. And I feel now that this is the absolute truth. (Maseo, entrepreneur, Los Angeles, USA)

3. “I definitely feel young because I am less than halfway there. Now I am 30 years old, about 20 of them I have lived consciously. I still have more than 30 years left, which is great.” (Alvaro, architect. Santiago, Chile)

4. “I keep forgetting my age! But it seems to me that by the age of 30 we gain experience and become more mature. The way I think now is very different from how I thought in my 20s.” (Gaston, furniture salesman, Ushuaia, Argentina)

5. “The onset of the 30th anniversary has changed absolutely nothing. Starting a family and having children are the steps that really change lives. Then age doesn't matter." (Christian, driver. Villa-O'Higgins, Chile)

6. “After 30, only one thing has changed: now I try not to answer questions about my age.” (Magdalena, works in the tourism business, Puerto Tranquilo, Chile)

7. “I used to think that the 30th anniversary is the onset of an important and amazing stage in life. But I don't really feel it. When people ask me how old I am, I have to count. Age is a matter of attitude towards life. (Christian, psychologist, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

8. “Change? Now after the night of partying I need two or three days to recover - this is something new and unusual. And as for the changes in the mind, I began to think about the future much more than ever. (Leandro, retoucher. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

9. “I imagined that at 30 I would live in my own house in the USA with my husband and children and work in the medical field. Today my life is completely different. But I'm happy to be who I've become." (Paola, hostel manager, Lima, Peru)

10. “Now I am more independent than in the life that I pictured to myself ten years ago. I have traveled a lot and learned a lot, I can live alone without anyone's help, and my passionate love also brings money. Every day I am amazed at my abilities!” (Ines, music teacher. Salta, Argentina)

11. “I need to do so much in a short time: travel, get married, have children, write a book… To be happy, I need to dream!” (Janice, Marketing Consultant, Sao Paulo, Brazil)

12. “It's amazing, but I feel old ... or just older than the people around me. When, for example, a concert is still full of energy, I already mentally dream of a bed. (Warren, entrepreneur, plumber and blacksmith, Cape Town, South Africa)

13. “I'm old because 30 is a long time. I have three children, the oldest of them is 11. And this practically means that the next generation is coming. It seems that my life is already arranged, and it is unlikely that it will change significantly in the future. (Beatrice, entrepreneur, Likoma Island, Malawi)

14. “My best memory is “now”! Why? Because my job, and with it my income, is better than ever before.” (Farouk, fisherman, Mozambique)

15. “I don’t feel old, but rather more experienced, and this feeling is wonderful!” (Kevin, Software Developer, Cape Town, South Africa)

16. “The main thing that has changed after 30 is that I ask myself more questions than ever. And I think I know myself better now." (Monica, baker, Cape Town, South Africa)

17. “I used to rely only on myself and was responsible only for myself. Now I am responsible for my family, listen to the advice of loved ones, think more about the consequences. I'm not alone anymore." (Julius, builder. Manchu, Malawi)

18. “I hope that in ten years the world will become like a small village, thanks to technology and information, people will be aware of everything that happens in all parts of the world. I believe that there will be unity in religions, which will prevent many wars and deaths. (Andualem, watchman and fisherman. Bahr Dar, Ethiopia)

19. “Even though I have achieved the goals that I set for myself to this point, life is still not easy. If earlier, without having a lot of money, we could afford a lot, now, due to inflation, even with a lot of capital, we can afford almost nothing.” (Mmadi, watchman and fisherman. Zanzibar, Tanzania)

20. “Even though I have a pretty hard life, I would not change anything in it. The main thing is that we have a foundation: a house and water.” (Sindani, housewife, Maasai village, Tanzania)

21. “I think that in the future I will live in the same village with my two wives and children. I would only like to have more livestock and weapons. It is necessary to drive wild animals away from our animals.” (Bori, livestock breeder, farmer. Omo Valley, Ethiopia)

22. “I am wiser than before and mature like never before. Now I can look back and see how I behaved for the last ten years. I am no longer in a hurry, now I think about every step before I start something. (Berhanu, entrepreneur, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

23. “I am proud of my scientific work. I discovered a cure for a virus (a form of autism) that damages the brain by mutating genes. I consider this a major achievement in my life because I really enjoy helping people.” (Matt, scientist. New York, USA)

24. “I lived without thinking about anything. I just enjoyed it without having any special ambitions. Now life is getting serious, I'm looking for what really matters: I want to pass my exams so I can get a good job, start a family and own my own house." (Buket, student. Lalibela, Ethiopia)

25. “I constantly forget about my age, it means nothing to me. The girls I grew up with have kids, their lives are full of stress, and they look older than me. I feel younger because I am not limited by anything. The older I get, the freer I become." (Stephanie, actress, writer, model. New York, USA)

26. “If I could erase some elements of my previous life, it would be my behavior of a passive observer. It was it, as well as various fears, that prevented me from acting and achieving my goals. (Anna, consultant. Paris, France)

27. “I want to devote ten years to traveling. For example, look at the Mayan ruins. I want to accumulate a lot of memories so that later I can tell funny stories about my adventures.” (Zoltan, Project Manager, Budapest, Hungary)