For my 40th birthday all I wanted was a quiet day of reading. The less talking, the better. This was not the onset of age-related depression—I’ve actually welcomed this milestone with excitement and gratitude— it’s that we spent my last week as a thirty-something-year-old at Disney World.

It was the week before Thanksgiving and our boys were clueless about our plans until we picked them up from school an hour before we left for the airport. We had an unforgettable week full of rollercoasters, Mickey-shaped snacks, late-November swimming and views of giraffes from our hotel window.

It was magical, but it was exhausting. As a nature-loving introvert, my idea of a dream vacation is an unplugged week in the woods where showering is optional and hiking is required. Where there are no crowds or character encounters and trip planning does not involve waking up at 6 a.m. to book fast passes. Our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney was a joyful way to finish out my 30’s, but I was going to require a week to recover from the overstimulation, even if it was my 40th birthday.

After basking in the sounds of silence as I spent the day reading and planning our Thanksgiving menu, Josh convinced me to go out to dinner, just the two of us. Enjoying our kid-free evening, I welcomed the idea of an after-dinner drink, but when we walked into the bar, we were no longer alone—a dozen of my best girlfriends were there to surprise me! Josh went home to tend to the boys while I snapped out of my Disney hangover for a youthful evening of friends and laughter. It ended up being a perfect day.

Whether we’re turning 40, 20 or 90, there is a desire to not only live long, but to live well. This eternal quest for the fountain of youth is the focus of January’s feature where writer Melinda Hemmelgarn looks at the role of genes, environment and lifestyle factors. As she offers age-defying strategies (from diet, exercise and sleep, to protecting our telomeres and adjusting our attitudes), what stands out the most to me is the importance of human connections. More and more research is encouraging us to be social—it’s vital to our physical and mental health.

My 40’s may have started with a quiet morning, but I have friends entering this milestone age all year long. Lucky for me (and my longevity), there is ample socialization ahead of me, because the celebration has only just begun.

Cheers to a vibrant 2020,

Meredith Montgomery, Publisher