What does it mean to be an adult? Everyone has their own impression of what being an adult means. For some it means freedom, for others, it means being flung on your own with no preparation. Well, there's a little more to it than that.

Being an adult means having to figure out where your money comes from. As an adult, you won't be able to run to your parents when you run low on funds. You will have to find a job and start saving. You will have to pay for your home, food, car and all your insurance. That may not start right away, but it will happen eventually, so the sooner you start saving the better.

Being an adult means having the ability to make your own decisions and dealing with the consequences. As an adult, you don't have to ask Mom and Dad for their permission to do something. You can just do it, but that also means Mom and Dad won't be to your rescue every time you make a stupid decision. You have to be smart about the choices you make, and you have to decide if you can handle the consequences on your own.

Being an adult means being the bigger person. You will find people that will drive you absolutely insane, but as the adult you will be able to ignore that and you will be able to work with them just like any other person. You will be able to avoid silly confrontations and keep your composure in arguments.

Being an adult means accepting the fact that you can't be friends with everyone, and that you won't keep your friends forever. Life takes people to all kinds of different places, and it's hard to keep in contact with everyone and balance life at the same time. You have to accept the fact that there's a good chance you won't be friends with your "BFF" for the rest of your life. You will find new friends. Your new friends will take you forward, but don't forget your old friends and how they got you to where you are now.

Being an adult means being able to laugh at your past embarrassments. You will be able to take your embarrassments in stride and not let them affect you and your confidence. There's so much more than your past disappointments and as an adult, you are able to grow from them.

There is a lot more to being an adult than meets the eye. This doesn't even include the scary stuff like bills. This is the personal stuff. The stuff that makes you an adult on the inside. You see the stuff your parents do every day, like work full-time jobs and pay all the bills and grocery shopping, but you don't see what they have on the inside. This is what being an adult means and what we all have to look forward to.