Adulthood has arrived, and it is scary. My mom is no longer around to do everything for me, and, since being in college, I have actually had to call people on the phone. Turning 18 seemed like such a great idea, but now I’m rethinking it. There are a lot of responsibilities, and I didn’t realize how many things adults really had to do. Here are 15 times I realized I was an adult.
1. Buying groceries
I’ve had to make grocery lists and figure out how to cook since moving out. For Christmas, I asked my entire family for Pick ‘N’ Save gift cards. I own a strainer, and I even made spaghetti once. (How the heck do you know how much sauce to put in?)
2. Cleaning your room
My parents are no longer around to yell at me for the catastrophe that is my room. Therefore, things got a little messy in the dorms. However, I have found that I am more motivated to tidy up when there’s not someone asking why I have 17 water bottles on my dresser.
3. Calling the doctor
This is quite possibly the most frightening thing I have done during my year as an adult. I was forced to actually speak to a professional on the phone to schedule an appointment. Can you imagine?
4. Going to the doctor alone
Scratch that. Going to the doctor without my mom is the most frightening thing I’ve done all year. My mom no longer takes off work when I need my teeth cleaned, and I’m very angry with her about it.
5. Paying for textbooks, student loans, bills, etc.
Did you know that everything in this world is expensive? Why does a book I will use exactly two times cost me $300? Thank God for the Spotify Premium student discount!
6. Getting sick
My mother and father no longer care when I get a cold. I am told that I can buy my own cough medicine and Tylenol PM.
7. No one to wake you up
When I was in high-school, my mom was always around to make sure I was up on time. When your parents live an hour away, they’re not too worried about whether or not you wake up for class. But make sure you don’t miss class, because they will be mad about that.
8. Needing a job
Now that I’m a real, live adult person, a job is necessity. However, the only jobs that will hire me are ones I hate. Thanks, Obama.
9. Naps
I have found that with all of my newfound responsibilities, I am tired. Thus, I require at least 12 hours of sleep a night. If I cannot find the time for this, I will pencil in a one-to-four-hour block of time for napping.
10. Going out on a school night
I have no one around to tell me that I am making bad decisions that I will regret tomorrow morning. There have many a night where I went out on a school night, only to wake up the next morning hating myself. I still have not learned my lesson.
11. Slowing metabolism
When I was younger, I could eat and eat and eat and stay relatively the same size. This is no longer true. Now, when I eat and eat and eat I gain lots and lots and lots. Working out has become a necessity that I sometimes (often) slack on.
12. Voting
We have come upon the year of the election. When the Wisconsin State Primary came along, I was ready to cast my vote, yet voting is confusing and time consuming. It took my quite a long time to figure out how to make sure Donald Trump didn’t get my vote.
13. Spend money how you want
I received quite a bit of money at my graduation party. This was a power I did not deserve. I spent the majority of that money at my local Urban Outfitters (sorry family), and I hate myself for it. I am an adult who doesn’t know how to budget.
After going through this scary time, I have realized that my parents work wonders to take care of me. Thank you, mom and dad, and please teach me how to be an adult.
