It Wasn’t Until I Turned 25 That I Felt Like an Adult

But why, though?

Yeah! Yeah!

When I was in high school, I just wanted to be an adult, but it didn’t seem possible. I lived at home, used my parent’s money, and didn’t have a significant other. I was grateful for the car my parents bought me and my allowance, but part of me just didn’t want them.

I thought when I got to college, I would feel like an adult. Nope. Even though I didn’t live at home, I relied on my parent’s dime, and I was single. Adulting was the staple of my vocabulary and the running joke among my friends.

I thought when I graduated from college, I would feel like an adult. Nope. I spent six years at a state university and came out with a master’s and $25,000 in debt. Neither made me feel adult worthy. I worked a part-time job, and I fought to make ends meet. Adult tasks like getting a new driver’s license after moving states were still daunting.

I thought I would feel like an adult when I was financially independent. Nope. I didn’t adequately become economically independent until I got married and had a dual income. But that’s not what made me feel like an adult.

Then on my twenty-fifth birthday, magic happened. A switch flipped somewhere inside of me, and I felt like an adult. I stopped making “adulting” jokes or dreaming about being responsible…