Welcome to Forever 39, New Jersey 101.5's new podcast about living life as Gen Xers in New Jersey, hosted by Annette Petriccione, Megan Barsel and lots of our friends from the NJ 101.5 universe.

Marriage — Does age matter?

Do you think 18 is too early for marriage? How about 27? Whether you think age matters or not, research does show that there is a "right" age to get married if you want to lower your chances of divorce.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age at first marriage for women is 27 and 29 for men. In New Jersey, it's 28 for women and 30 for men. According to research by the University of Utah, couples would be wise to marry between the ages of 28 and 32. Why? Well, after looking at data from the National Survey of Family Growth, researcher and sociologist Nick Wolfinger, found that those are the best ages to get married if couples want to avoid divorce.

However, there are researchers that don't agree, and they found that even older is better. In fact, a sociologist from the University of Maryland found that getting married between the ages of 45 and 49 is best to avoid divorce.

So what do you think? Is there a "perfect" age to get married?

Spending a day in New Jersey — What would you do?

Forever 39: Annette and Megan
Annette and Megan (Louis C. Hochman/Townsquare Media)
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For us native New Jerseyans, we all know our home state can have a bit of a negative reputation. So that's why when someone comes for a visit for the first time, it's important to show them the best of the Garden State.

Annette likes to take her friends and family to some of New Jersey's charming towns like Princeton, Caldwell, Spring Lake or Lambertville. Megan thinks showing novices the best of Jersey includes a trip to a Jersey diner ... of course ... and a trip to one of the state's many shopping centers.

What would you do with someone for the day that has never been to New Jersey? Let us know at forever39@nj1015.com.

Vacations: Why aren't Americans taking them?

Awww ... vacations, all workers deserve a rest from today's daily grind, but many professional Americans don't take them. How about you?

According to a Bankrate.com survey, 52 percent of Americans who get paid vacation days won't use all of them. Millennials and Baby Boomers are the least likely to use all of their vacation time, while Generation X-ers are the most likely to use them all. The survey said seven days is the average number of vacation time that is left unused.

So why don't Americans take all their time off? Some of the most common reasons found in our online research include:

  • Too much work
  • Guilt about taking time off
  • Worried about being replaced
  • Can't afford a vacation
  • Too dedicated to the job
  • Roll over their time to new calendar year

And even if you're one of those workers that normally takes their time off, that doesn't mean the office is totally forgotten. Many workers have a tough time completely leaving the office in their rear-view mirror, and many find themselves checking their emails while on vacation.

Are you like Annette and take all your vacation time, or are you like Megan and haven't a vacation in years?

Join us for next week's podcast when we're joined by Toniann Antontelli, NJ101.5's digital managing editor for programming, to our favorite life hacks, the celebrity breakups that shocked us the most and whether or not it's a good idea to be friends with your ex?

Share your thoughts on all of them below, on Twitter, on Facebook or at forever39@nj1015.com.

— Annette and Megan, Forever 39

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