Well, it's official. I've graduated from college, memorized my social security number, moved into my own apartment, secured a full time job, and paid my first bill. I am, without a doubt, an Adult.
So why am I sitting on my couch, eating frozen pizza and reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?
Being an Adult (as opposed to an adult, which is just a person who is old enough to legally buy his or her own lottery tickets) is kind of scary. It's a bit like being in school, where I need to keep track of multiple ongoing projects and responsibilities, except I have no idea how to do any of the tasks I'm "assigned". I can write papers and take tests, but what is a 401(k)? How do I pay for electricity? What do you mean I have to squish that spider in the corner???
It can all be a bit overwhelming. That's where the pizza and books come in. Being an Adult, I can buy freeze pops and fruit snacks if I so choose. I can watch Disney movies and play stupid games on the computer. I can balance out the scary Adult stuff with the fun childish stuff and not step too far out of my comfort zone.
With that sentiment in mind, however, I do caution myself. I don't think there's anything wrong with eating the occasional freeze pop (and there's no way I'm ever going to stop enjoying the Harry Potter books), but I want to make sure that I only do those "childish" things because I truly enjoy them, not because I need to use them to escape from something. Adulthood can be scary, but dependence is scarier.
At this point, I have to thank my friends and family, who have been extremely supportive, encouraging, and helpful. Without their advice and answered texts, I would be pretty lost. They keep me grounded and set wonderful examples. I'm so thankful to have people in my life who make me feel loved and connected, even when I'm sitting alone in my one bedroom apartment.
I have a lot of friends who have just become Adults, too. It's so exciting to hear about all of their accomplishments and discuss jobs, living situations, and plans together. And I can't wait for my adult friends to join us in the chaos that is Adulthood. It feels like we're really living now, like we finally have our feet on the path toward making a name for ourselves. I can't wait to see where our paths lead us.
No, I don't have all of this Adult stuff figured out, but as I sit in my apartment, looking out the window at the trees swaying in the breeze and the ducks gliding across the water, with paperwork in my hand, I finally feel like this is what my life is supposed to be: living on my own, starting a job at an advertising agency, driving my car, and singing along with *NSYNC as I look for the first stars to show up in the night sky.
