When I turned 18, I thought I was so grown up. Becoming a legal adult seemed like the answer to everything. I don't know why I thought this way, but I did. It felt like I was on top of the world. All my big decisions were pretty much made - I knew where I was going to school, I had enough money to get me through the first semester.
Turns out I was wrong. There was so much more to growing up then leaving the home of my parents. I had far more decisions to make then merely to step on that plane. I had to figure out how to make myself get up in the morning. I had to learn how to plan meals and eat the right number of vegetables. I had to learn how to get to class on time and how to go to bed at a reasonable hour.
So I did it; I learned how to do all those things. I went through an entire semester of life on my own, and successfully discovered how to live independently. I thought this made me an adult.
But I was still wrong. And so here I am, learning how to do even more grown-up things. I paid for my first apartment after spending many hours and days searching, and researching and looking for the right one. I applied for my major after much pondering and worrying over whether I was making the right choice. I started looking for my first real job, not out of convenience or obligation, but out of necessity - if I don't make money, then I won't be able to pay for my rent.
And so, now, once again, I feel like I'm all grown up. But it's different this time. Because I don't feel so independent and adult-like that I think I'm ready to face the world and take on everything that comes my way. Rather, I understand that I'm taking steps toward the rest of my life. And it never stops changing and I never stop learning. Growing up isn't an event, it's a process.
So here goes nothing.
That's all.
