39 here! 1st car I ever owned was a 97 GTI MK3 and I was 24 then. I had the MK3 for 15 years. Over those 15 years I got married to the girl of my dreams, had my 1st daughter (12 yrs old now), own a dog (Lucky), purchased a home, leased a BMW 5 series, leased a honda accord, had my 2nd daughter (3 yrs old now), purchased a MAZDA CX9 SUV (btw every time I drive the SUV, I wish I was driving my GTI, lol).
I must admit when I decided to retire my MK3 it felt kinda awkward looking at the GTI at the dealership and realizing that there was a teenager with his parents looking at the same car, had I out grown my favorite ride, lol. But that's what made me realize that this car was right for me even 15 years later. No matter how often I drove the BMW, Honda Accord and Mazda CX9 SUV, I still couldn't wait to jump in that GTI, it was simply a fun ride and I refused to let go of that feeling! It definitely has a hold on me!
BTW I purchased a 2012 GTI Deep Pearl Black Autobahn, oh and also added another member to the family my now 4 month old son! (heh.... I guess it was a good thing we got the SUV, lol)