Esther Musila and Daughter Discuss Being 30: Then vs. Now

Gilda Naibei, Esther Musila’s daughter, reflected on turning 30 compared to her mother’s experience. On her YouTube channel, Naibei shared that at 30, she feels hesitant about starting a family, viewing herself as still quite young.

“I think times have changed; it’s been 24 years, a whole two decades, so you can imagine how priorities have evolved. What was important to me then may not be for you now,” Musila noted.

She explained that, growing up in the 90s, she also had her own ambitions. “I used to say I’d get married at 26, assuming I’d have a good job and be stable. The 90s were different—I didn’t exactly plan to get married; it just happened.”

Musila shared that she hadn’t thoroughly vetted her partner at the time, and by 19, she was unexpectedly pregnant. “I wasn’t scared; maybe just of my parents finding out. My mother knew I was pregnant before I told her. She noticed my skin looked lighter than usual.”

She added, “By the time I was 20, I already had my first child.