It's a state of being that's all too familiar for college students and/or working young adults out there.
Your older siblings have moved out and on in the world, your parents are "emptying the nest," and you feel like the gimpy little bird who hasn't learned to fly yet. I'm not sure where the whole empty-nest metaphor came from, but it's a euphemism that has taken on a whole other meaning for millennials.
For many baby boomers, turning 18 meant getting a job, your own place and settling down with a family of their own. However, it's 2016 and their offspring is facing a different world.
I, being the child of two amazing baby boomers, am the last little birdie of three in the nest, and it can be a pretty weird, and too often humbling, experience. You may look cool and calm on the outside about your bright and independent post-grad future, but on the inside, you're actually FREAKING OUT and probably doing/experiencing at least one of these things:
1. Over-justifying your situation
When people ask why you still live at home, you give them answers like: "I'd just miss my parents too much!" and/or "If I leave, who will remind my mom she can't zoom into a picture on instagram?"
2. Your parents dropping subtle hints that you need to gtfo
Example of a Momsplaination about her adult daughter's "potential": "I'm sure when Gaby graduates, her career and her independence will just take off!"
3. There's nobody else to blame for ANYTHING
Since your older siblings moved out, there are no scapegoats for your messes. ALL the laundry? YOURS. ALL the dirty dishes? YOURS. No more hiding behind the blame game anymore.
4. Having all of the lonely feels
Even though your siblings visit you or vice versa, at the end of the day there's really nobody you can talk to about your outfit, boy drama, or even bowel movements. (Nothing is off limits for sisters, at least with mine.)
5. Questioning the validity of your life/career goals
"Oh god, what if my degree doesn't get me a job right away?!" "What if I have to bunk with my parents FOR-EV-ER?!" "Am I destined for eternal dependence?!" STOP FREAKING OUT. THIS IS MADNESS. It'll be ok.
6. Comparing yourself to poeple you went to high school with
I know for a fact, at least five people in my graduating class already have their own apartments, full-on careers and 401Ks. (OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a little.)
7. Feeling stuck in limbo like no other
You're technically an adult, but you're in NO WAY ready for what that entails. Are you an overgrown child or a baby adult? No one really knows. All you know is that it doesn't feel quite right.
8. Reaping ALLLL OF THE BENEFITS
Now that you're pretty much like the only child, that means you'll get Grade-A SPOILED like an only child. You want pizza? It's probably a yes! You want this reaaally cute blouse but you "forgot your wallet at home"? OF COURSE mom has your back!
For those of you on the same boat, don't worry guys. Although we come from a diverse group of nests, you're not the only last little birdie in them and one day, you'll finally learn to fly on your own.
