I hear a lot about how being an adult sucks work sucks bill suck blah blah blah but I’m not into that nonsense. Being an adult totally rocks. Here’s why:
- Watching people you love get their lives together.
You were next to them as they were laying the bricks for their lives, dreaming and scheming, and now you’re watching that solid foundation take shape into something real. Whether that’s a great job, a great relationship or a promotion, it is truly magnificent to watch their lives come together. - Learning to have faith in yourself.
The truth about growing up is that you never really know if the choices you make are going to be the right ones in the long run, but you cannot worry about your choices. Having to do this builds a faith in yourself you didn’t have when you could easily change your mind without too much consequence. - Independence.
Yeah, you’ve got bills now. It’s not fun for anyone. But do you understand what those bills mean? It means you’re taking care of yourself. YOU are taking care of yourself. There’s something extremely satisfying in earning your way in life. - You learn how to take care of yourself.
Speaking to that point, growing up means learning to take care of yourself. Honestly, I’m 25 and it still rattles me that I have to make my own doctors appointments. I’m so bad at it (think I’m joking? I have two I need to make right now and I justttttt haven’tttttttt and oops now I can’t until Monday, damn) but it teaches me to rely on myself. It’s my own damn fault if something happens as a result of my own procrastination to make my doctor’s appointments. - You learn how to take care of yourself financially.
I’m not sure why schools aren’t teaching kids real life skills yet, but you’re about to get a crash course in personal finance. You’re about to learn, whether you like it or not, how to budget, file taxes, write checks, etc. You may even start thinking about a retirement plan (here comes some unsolicited Internet advice: do it as early as you can). - You relate to your parents in a new way.
Now that you’re an independent adult, you see your parents in a new way. Once upon a time, you were living under their roof and therefore had to be a version of what they expected of you in order to get along. It didn’t matter if YOU wanted to stay out past midnight, if your parents wanted you to come home at midnight you did or there was trouble. But now you’re on a level playing field with them and suddenly they’re not an authority figure in your life anymore. Honestly, it’s refreshing. We all love our parents, but it’s a relief not to have to be the version of ourselves that they want and we can be the version of ourselves that we are. You want to stay out past midnight? Get on with your bad self. You’re a friggin’ ADULT. - Unlimited spending money at the candy store.
Need I say more?
Do you have anything else to add to the list? Let me know in the comments!
Ps: To those who love me who will be concerned about those appointments, I’ll make them Monday. I promise.
Stephanie Jean 