Remember when we were younger and all we dreamed about was leaving the house? We couldn’t wait to grow up. We all talked about college, our future plans, and the excitement of the unknown. We made plans to get married someday, have a family, and live in a big house. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing time in your life. You meet new people, make your own rules, and experience new things. But in all reality, growing up sucks.

As a broke college student who barely has life together, I wish I could go back to the days of being a little kid. The days when I never had to open my wallet and worry about my debit card getting declined, or what I was going to eat for dinner. My laundry would get done weekly (shoutout to my awesome parents), and my biggest concern was trying to decide what to watch on Netflix that night. Those were the good ol’ days.

Now, here I am. I’m constantly having to watch what I spend, and the majority of my money sadly goes towards food. That food then goes from my eyes to my thighs, as my high metabolism was left behind with my childhood. Feeding myself is a nightmare and I definitely took advantage of home cooked meals. Even though my parents made chicken and potatoes just about every night, I sure do miss it. I miss arguing with family, and it’s definitely tough being away from home. I had to spend a whole two hours googling how to do my own laundry, because my parents were no longer there to do it for me. I used to love getting mail because that usually meant it was a holiday or my birthday. Now the mailbox is full of bills, or overpriced text books I had to order for class. I have to work now, and money isn’t just handed to me. If I miss my alarm, I don’t have my mom to wake me up. This happened so many times in high school, and I learned quickly that college wouldn’t include wake up service. One of the biggest things I learned about growing up is that there is never enough time in the day. You will always have something going on, and the to-do list gets longer as the years pass. Doesn’t sound fun, does it? Most of us had it made growing up.

Now by no means am I trying to complain or sound lazy, because I do have a very good life. I am so thankful to live the life that I do, and I am so excited to see where life takes me. However, as someone who wanted to grow up as fast as possible, I am here to tell you that it’s really not what you think. The next time someone tells you to try and stay a kid as long as possible, please take their advice. Eventually that time to grow up will come, but cherish the moments of being a kid, and try not to rush into adulthood. Some of the best years of your life are yet to come, but some of the best memories were made as a kid. Trust me, growing up sucks.