Turning 30 is major. It’s a significant point in people’s lives that marks a whole new era and brings with it endless possibilities that could change your life across the next decade.

But no one ever discusses the significance of the final year before you turn 30 – the big 2-9. While it’s not an age that advertisers have decided to market across witty birthday cards and glittery balloons, it’s significant for being the last year of your 20s – one of the defining decades of your life.

For me, turning 30 sounds like bliss – but it was on turning 29 that my thoughts really started to kick in. How was I going to round out my 20s with a bang? What are the things I want to do before I turn 30? How do I feel about my 20s as a whole? All the questions began to float as soon as the clock struck 12 and my final year as a 20s gal began.

And it turns out I’m not the only one. For many of us 1992 babies, the final year of our 20s is a cause of excitement but also of much reflection – and we spoke to eight women about their 20s, turning 30, and what they’ve learned along the way.

8 women reveal how they really feel about turning 30 and the end of their 20s