You have dreamed about becoming an adult for as long as you can remember. In elementary school you had dreams of the career you hoped to obtain by the time you graduated college. As a child, you had high hopes of meeting your Prince Charming at a young age and having a family by the time you are 25 years old. Moving into middle school and high school, your parents begin to get under your skin and you cannot wait for the day that you are 18 years old. Once you are the age of a technical adult, and off in college, life seems glorious. You have the freedom to do what you want and when you want. Most college students' parents still support them in college as well, so it is the choice freedom of an adult, without the financial responsibilities. If only adulthood stayed that way!
Graduating from college and moving on into the real world is not as glamorous as Hollywood makes it out to be. Then again, reality will never live up to Hollywood's expectations. Suddenly, all the dreams that you had as a child are expected to be acted upon. All those years in school are now worth something and your knowledge is expected to be put to use. Bills are flying, your social life is hanging by a thread, you are forced to look presentable Monday through Friday, and can no longer roll out of bed to throw on leggings and an over-sized sweatshirt.
Who said I wanted to be an adult? Oh, that's right, I did - all the years before I was actually an adult. But now, I see that it is not all that it cracked up to be. Not only do I have to worry about bills and my work schedule, but I also have to worry about my social life and physical activity. Even though college was a blur of drunken nights, all-nighters, extra long serving shifts, and a crippling amount of homework, I was still able to fit it all into my busy schedule. As an adult, there is no fitting in activities. By the time you arrive home from your 8 hour, 9 hour with lunch, work day the only appetizing plan is to enjoy a warm dinner on the couch with Netflix on the television.
Whether you are 23 years old or 53 years old, it seems to be all the same once you are deemed an adult. Each individual is just as tired as the next, some more than others if there are children and/or pets involved. Squeezing plans in is no longer an option. Planners and calendars are used to schedule lunches, dinners, hang out sessions, and all of the above whether it is work related or personal.
"Adulting" always seemed so much fun growing up: the ability to make your own rules, who wouldn't love that? Well, now my own rules come with pajamas and a glass of wine before bed. Keep in mind that my "adulting" bedtime is before 9PM. Of course, this all does sound glamorous compared to listening to the rules your parent's have set, worrying about homework, waking up on a Wednesday with a nasty hangover, and searching for change in order to fill up your gas tank. (I will say - the money that comes with adulthood is a major plus!) There are upsides and downsides to both stages in your life, and perhaps the way social media portrays adults, the way Hollywood portrays adults, and how adults present themselves, causes younger generations to think that adulthood is much more exciting than it truly is. That doesn't mean that it is always a dull moment, but it is a different kind of excitement than we have previously been used to.
Your life changes once you have become an adult. But with figuring out all the bad, the good will come along with it. The good times are those spent with friends, family, loved ones, and spending time doing what it is that you truly love.
