Being an adult is hard. I'm currently 20 years old, and everything is hard. Budgeting is hard, paying rent is hard, everything is difficult and costs money. I'm living on my own for the first summer in my life, and yeah, it's hard. But I'm learning important lessons.

The biggest thing I taught myself, is that's it's important to not give up on the things that are fun.

Just because I'm 20, and am legally an adult, doesn't mean I have to give up on the childlike things. In fact, the older I get, the more I appreciate the fun parts of life. I think that's what makes life interesting, and that's what makes everything worth being here. To have fun.

That's been something that took me a while to understand, and I'm only now realizing the importance of.

There's a lot of stress of adult life. So it's important to savor the fun. When going to the grocery store, sometimes you have to ride the cart down the aisle. When shopping for work clothes, sometimes you have to get yourself that t-shirt with the cartoon character on it. Just because I can legally vote doesn't mean I'm not going to buy scooby-doo gummies when I buy my groceries. I'm buying all of this food that I need to cook meals, so why can't I throw something fun in for myself?

That's the real joy of being an adult. You can decide where you go, what you do, and who you do that with. There's little controlling you. So why not go treat yourself to something fun? Why not buy that cute bracelet that looks fun? If it's not going to break your bank, do it!

Childlike things aren't bad, and acting like a kid isn't a terrible choice. Kids have fun, and make sure that they make all of their seconds count. It's a good philosophy to live by. So why should we abandon that when we become adults? Bouncing balls, sleeping with stuffed animals, and playing Pokemon are fun things to do, and aren't bad to continue doing? They're relaxing and harmless. Just because we're over the age of 18 doesn't mean we should abandon the things we like. We can still act like kids as adults.

Just because you're an adult doesn't mean you have to act like one. In fact, you have more autonomy than you ever have had in your life. Your parents may have decided you weren't going to get that water blaster when you were a kid, but you're an adult now. You have the money. So do it!

Life's too short to spend too much time worrying about the small stuff. You should do what you want, when you want. Nobody is stopping you but you. So go out, have fun, do whatever you want, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

You are in control of you!