The circle of life is simple: you're born, you live, you die. The circle of living is a lot less clear-cut. For most Americans (that fall near my age), it goes: you're born, you go to school, you go to more school, you go to college, then you spend the rest of your life working to pay off those debts.
I can only hope that I will be fortunate enough to move into my own place after college. And if not, I'm lucky to be close enough to my parents that I could live with them until I do get a place (right, Mom? Right..? Thanks).
When you make the transition from being a child living with your parents to an adult living with other adults who happen to be your parents, things change. The have to; you can't live the way you used to live anymore.
You are now responsible not only for yourself but also for the house. Sure, you lived on your own at school and did chores like laundry and vacuuming. But now, if you wash your clothes, you wash everyone's clothes. If you're going to vacuum your room, you are expected to vacuum the whole house.
You also have to get back into the whole aspect of telling your parents your plans that involve the house, like if you're going to have company. While you were at school, you could just have friends come over and that would be it, no one needs to be alerted. Now you need to alert people ahead of time (and I don't just mean five minutes before they pull in the driveway).
But think about your parents and their side of things, too. When you were at school, sure you were an adult, but they weren't there to experience it. They are finally confronted with the fact that they have to say goodbye to their child and say hello to this strange, nocturnal adult who is going to be their new roommate.
They don't have the authority to ask where you're going if you decide to go out at 11 at night. They don't need to ask you to justify why you bought the shampoo that cost twenty bucks: it's your money, and you spend it how you deem fit.
But, when you live with your parents as an adult, something really interesting happens. You get it. You understand the real struggle of being an adult. Struggles like taxes and bills. Paying for the internet. You can sit on the couch and drink wine while you binge watch "Game of Thrones," and everything on Netflix. You can grill in the driveway and judge the neighbors and their ugly choice of patio flagstones.
While there will always be tension between you and your parents, especially if you live with them, it can also be pretty fun. They aren't just your parents anymore... they're your friends. And, once you have that, you wouldn't want it any other way.
