Being an adult is hard. There is no easy way around growing up, there is no fast forward button as much as sometimes we wish there was. The jump from being a high school student to a college student is a long jump for some and a small step for others. For me it was like jumping from one roof top to another. The consequence of possibly tripping over myself and messing up was very real and naturally it scared the hell out of me. But if I made it I would be proud and I would be able to look over my shoulder at the distance I had covered by taking a leap of faith. Becoming an adult is not just categorized as going to college; getting a job and moving away from your parents are included in "adulting", as well as smaller moments like calling to make your own appointments or knowing when you've lost an argument. But right now I am in the first stage of "adulting" which is, what I like to call, leaving the nest. This first stage includes leaving home, no longer being under the watchful eye of your parents and enjoying pure, sweet freedom.
As I said earlier for some people this first transition is quite smooth and when you come home for holidays and breaks you have no problem answering the "how's your first year of college?" question. These people usually answer with stories of how they love being at school and how they have a million friends and they feel like college was the best choice for them. However there are the other type of people who take a little longer to get through this initial stage of "adulting". We don't hate college and it isn't like we have no friends, we are just afraid of the gaping hole staring us in the face between the two rooftops.
But what I have realized is that the true definition of becoming an adult is not learning to ignore the fear and make the jump, but rather to accept the fact that you are scared and do your best to jump as far as you can. It was harder than I thought, becoming an adult that is. I figured college and the push towards adulthood would be good for me. I would get away from pointless high school drama and curfews and all of the immaturity. What I have found is that taking the leap was the best thing I have ever done. Am I scared? Yes. Am I out of my comfort zone? You bet. Do I regret any decision I've made up to this point? No, not at all. Because if I regretted anything I had ever done, then I wouldn't have learned all that I have. So yes growing up is hard and sometimes you wish Peter Pan were true and you really could just fly off to Neverland. But the real world will push you and make you grow and someday after you are done pushing through everything it throws at you, you will be proud. If you were to ask me right now how being an adult is going, I would answer with one word, messy, and part of growing up is knowing that that is okay.
