Twenty-three-year-old Barbara enjoys ribbing me about my age. Case in point: Last month when I posted about my interim experiences, she took one look at the photo and burst out laughing.

"Nice flannel," she guffawed, gasping for breath. "Sure smells like teen spirit!"

Harrumph. I'd like to see the outfits she was sporting in 1992.

When she was eight.

To be fair, though, her pop culture reference was spot-on. I was borderline obsessed with Nirvana's "Nevermind"  album at the time that photo was taken.

Our exchange made me feel old. Six months ago, I entered a new demographic: 35-49. I'd been comfortable in 18-34 for a good 16 years, so this was a tough transition for me. No longer as attractive to advertisers as I once was, I rebelled by watching "Laguna Beach"  and buying accessories for my iPod .

So now that I'm 35, I'd like to think that spending time with Barbara keeps me young. She knows what all the kids are listening to these days, and she introduces me to stuff like Facebook  and the "Grey's Anatomy" podcast . And I'd like to think that Barbara's time with older, wiser me is beneficial for her, too. After all, I did assist her with the real-world task of figuring out if she could afford her new apartment.

What about you? As you're embarking on a college search or figuring out how you're going to repay your student loans, do you learn from those who have gone before you?

A few weeks ago, Barbara and I were in World Market  to spend her birthday gift card, a present from me. We got a little silly, singing Disney musical tunes in the framed art section. I had to remind myself—and Barbara—that I was 35.

She waved me off. "Sometimes I just like to pretend you're in your twenties, like me," she said.

Sigh. Me, too.