We are all reaching the edge where our childhood merges into adulthood. We are headed to college and many experiences we are will encounter will make us more independent. Packing up everything in my room, I started questioning when I am going to finally 'grow up'. It seems so easy to say, even thought keeping ahold of your childhood doesn’t mean you are stupid or immature.

I have never been a person who wants to be a grown-up. When I was a kid, I remember laying on the floor staring up at the fan wishing that these fleeting moments of childhood wouldn’t end. I didn’t really look forward to getting a license, or having a curfew. I loved the days of Kool-Aid and Barbies. Now it all seems to be coming to an end so abruptly, that I worry that my days of being carefree are over. Now I have to worry about my car insurance.

Many things in life are one or the other, but this is something that you cannot have one or the other. You do need to worry about paying your bills, but you can also enjoy a few kid’s movies or have mac-n-cheese whenever you want. Being true to yourself is more important than being what society says you should become at 18 years old.

Whenever I sit myself down and say, “I will clean my house, I will pay all the bills on time, I will read this biography on George Washington”, it never works. I try to be serious, but eventually, I burn out. Budgeting? This toy is really cool. It has a monster truck included. How can I save my money, when I could get fancy things like this? I won’t even bring up how much I could spend on a Disney World trip. Or how much time I waste wishing I was on a Disney World trip.

As I get more things to juggle and start becoming my own person, I find it is a balance of work and play. Doing stuff you love while you do the things you hate. You are not the only person who might sit on Netflix and watch "Land Before Time" instead of doing your work. Rather than refusing to play "Pokémon Go" because you are an adult now, enjoy it while you do your adult responsibilities.

So maybe I am not the poster child for adulthood, but I very much enjoy my life. I am true to myself, a big five-year-old. I have found a good balance of still being a kid and doing everything I have to do to be an adult. I hope that you can find the best balance of responsibility and fun. If your fun is Legos, then you get those Legos out and kill your feet again! If you still want to eat Kraft Mac-N-Cheese, you go ahead. Don’t allow anyone to tell you how you should live your life. So, you go live your life with your Hello Kitty wallet!