Adult – noun: a person who is fully grown or developed or of age. 2.) a person who has attained the age of maturity as specified by law. (via dictionary.com)

Related forms: adulthood, adult like,adultness (via dictionary.com)

Adult’ing – noun, adjective, verb: that thing we are told we have to do, that we cannot wait for but want to run away from every time the alarm clock goes off. (via everyone over 21 years old)

When I was 13 years old, I could not wait until I turned 16 so I can drive and do more with my time outside of my parent’s house. Then when I was 16 years old I could not wait to turn 18 and graduate high school. Granted I did not think I would have it good until I finally turned 21 years old. At 21 I could rule the world, right? Maybe 25 years old was the magic number… I can rent a car without parental consent, I can get more money for school, I can travel without worrying about age constraints in other countries. Being an “adult” was awesome! I could not understand why my parents complained so much. That is until I turned 26 years old.

That magic number of this is adult’ing, hits everyone different. Mine was my 26th birthday, or some short time after, when I received a letter that I will no longer be covered under my parent’s insurance. No problem right? I have a job that offers insurance, I’ll just go to HR and sign up. I felt good and responsible. I have my own insurance. I am that much more of an adult… Until I saw my check. “Who forgot my extra $200!” I did… That is how much I had to pay to be an adult. “This is nonsense!” Oh, but it was only the start.

My vehicle seemed to age not as gracefully as I was. What once was Bertha the almighty, was now Bertha the old clunker. Went from paying $21 occasionally for an oil change, to $600 for new tires, $2,000 for shocks and breaks, and purchasing AAA because she breaks down every 5,000 miles. When I’m not shelling out cash for the doctor or Bertha, I am figuring out how to make it to everyone’s life events. Now at 31 years old (this is where some of you will yell at your screens since I refused to tell you my age during lessons and workshops, GOTCHA!), I have baby showers, job promotion dinners, “Grown-n-sexy” birthday celebrations, European tour girl’s trips, and so on. Oh! On top of all of that, I cannot eat like I am in college anymore. No more Ramen… Grocery shopping is its own chore that everyone needs to pay attention to in their younger years instead of sneaking grapes while their parent does all of the hard work.

So now that you are sweating or slumped, let me encourage you. The fact that you are reading this blog and others like it, you are ahead of the curve. Taking in the experience of others to help you along the way, is one of the best ways to go through this thing called adult’ing. Ready or not, you will and are an adult. Even the adults reading this blog can pick up on elements that are not always clear to us. You do not have to reinvent the wheel of being an adult, but you do not have to have it all figured out either. My grandfather is 91 years old and even he is still winging it sometimes, he just labels it “improvising”.

Be sure to check back every Wednesday and Friday for new content. Also, make sure you connect with me on social media. I have loads of information in my head and at my finger tips, but I want to make sure it is of use to you because I can talk your ear off.

Breathe. Read. Blink. You will be okay.

Happy Adult’ing! Continue reading →