A few months ago, I turned 30, and in my slight panic of entering a new decade as a single woman, I decided my best course of action was to throw caution to the wind and try my hand at dating younger men. I wouldn't say I'm totally embracing the cougar lifestyle, but I did start chatting up some guys between 19 and 21, and while it's exhilarating, it's also very, very exhausting.

I learned that the youth of today have embraced Snapchat like I embraced my first Discman back in elementary school — something my newfound male suitors have probably never heard of. For weeks, I have painstakingly taken selfie after selfie for Snapchat and agonized over cute, flirty messages to go along with them that have the right words to keep a teenager's interest. Do you know how long the attention span of a 19-year-old is? Approximately 18 days, if the shattered remnants of my most recent Snapchat relationship are anything to go by.

Let me paint you a picture. I met this last young man through family. He's someone I knew years ago (as in, when he was actually a child) but hadn't seen in quite a while. We met again right when I was having my meltdown about getting older but wanting to feel younger, so his perfectly cherubic teenage face was everything I needed. We spent a few days in close quarters, dancing around the attraction but never acting on it. We parted ways to go back to our respective lives — me to a full-time grown-up job in the city, him to college — but then he started the whole Snapchat thing.

I'm a fan of Snapchat. I am. But I've never felt so much pressure to nail it every time. I wanted every selfie I sent him to be perfect, even though he's seen me with no makeup looking like my everyday 30-year-old self. I wanted my pictures to come through and for him to show them to his teenage friends and have them be jealous. I wanted to push him to make something happen next time we saw each other. And I think that's where I went wrong. You see, as eager as teenagers are (and let me tell you, they are eager and willing), they are also still a little bit innocent, and the prospect of any kind of relations with a much older companion can be actually a bit scary. So tread carefully.

Before there was the teenager, there was a 21-year-old intern who sparked my interest and really got the ball rolling with this whole shebang. He was young, he was fun, and he made life interesting. And it also only lasted a few weeks. (Sensing a pattern?) So while my initial adventure into this whole cougar lifestyle has been a bit rocky, it has taught me a few things that I can carry into my future endeavors. Follow along as I teach you.

Conversation is . . . tricky

Face it, you probably don't have a whole lot in common with someone who is 10-plus years younger than you and is very new to this whole adult life. They aren't stupid or unable to carry some sort of conversation, their world views are just a bit limited because of their lack of life experience. Be prepared for that.

It could very well be short-lived

I keep blaming the attention spans of my younger suitors for things not lasting long, but honestly, I'm no better. I get bored quickly, just like teenagers do. Know that going in, and dive head first into your affair so you can maximize your fun. That's not to say it's guaranteed that this will be a short-term deal, but it could be, just like any relationship could be, and for me, it's all about fun and not so much about developing real feelings, so it makes sense to skip right to the good bits.

This is beneficial for both of you

Just a few months ago, I had no idea that a cougar's lover was called a cub, but apparently it is. And this cougar/cub relationship is good for you both, beyond the obvious promise of sexual gratification. The cub is cool in his friend circle because an attractive older woman is into him, and the cougar has a supercute boy toy on her arm. I call it a win-win.

Technology is key

The old-fashioned way of doing things seems to have completely died. When I was a teenager, the guy I dated one Summer would show up at the backdoor of our house and ask if I wanted to go for a walk to hang out. Teenagers nowadays will Snapchat you from the other end of the couch to say hey. In my 18 days with this particular teenager, I think my phone battery died half of those days, simply because Snapchat eats so much battery. You better get you one of those external battery things if you're going for a younger guy.

He's a great ego boost

It's not easy to get older, so when you have a hot young guy falling at your feet, it makes you feel great. If he's not practically falling at your feet to please you, find one who is. Trust me, he's out there.

You can learn from each other

Because you're both at completely different places in your lives, you can easily learn a thing or two from each other. For example, I broadened his vocabulary by helping him with his daily crossword puzzle and did some quick work to groom him to be an amazing boyfriend and eventual husband for someone someday. My teenage beau, on the other hand, lit my first joint for me and showed me how to get the maximum high, which is something I never did at that age because I was too focused on school and work. And that brings me to possibly my favorite part of this whole experience . . .

He will make you feel young

Going into this, my goal was to feel younger than 30, because honestly, I don't feel 30, and I don't look 30. Mentally and physically, I feel about on par with most recent college grads, and I relish it every time someone looks taken aback when I tell them I'm 30. Don't get me wrong, I love being 30. Thirty feels powerful, especially when you decide to date a much younger man.

At the end of the day, being a cougar should be thrilling. As a mature, confident woman, you should feel empowered by dating a sexy younger man. Maybe you don't want to go quite as young as I did with my teenager (hey, it's certainly not for everyone), but if you're a single woman in her 30s or beyond, I highly recommend broadening your search for a lover to include the much younger set. They're fresh, they're eager, and they want to please you. As for my Snapchat-happy cub, things may have cooled for now, but all bets are off next time we see each other . . .