Does Adulthood Even Exist?

A week or so ago, I celebrated my 26th birthday. I didn’t notice a difference. Then again…who wants to turn 26?

Adulthood…When I was in middle school, I thought high schoolers were adults. When I was in high school, I thought college students were adults. When I was in college, I thought graduates were adults.

Nope nope nope.

I just turned 26. I’m still living with my parents. I’m spending every paycheck I earn on bills with maybe $12 to blow on a nice beverage at the bar. I’m working a job that should be a career but is really only there so I can spend every paycheck on bills and blow that $12 on a nice beverage at the bar.

Is this adulthood? I thought, with every passing year, one new piece would be added to that ideal life we see in movies and read in books. Added responsibilities for growth. Decorating your own recently-bought house. Expecting them kids to pop out one after the other.

That traditional path of hitting your 20s. College. Marriage. Buying your first home. Having your first baby. Isn’t that adulthood?

Nope nope nope.

26…I’m closer to 30 than I was to 20….That sucks. And I don’t have any of my shit together.

Buuuuut…the good news is none of that matters because I choose instead to have a positive attitude. Your life’s success isn’t an overnight miracle–you’re not rubbing the genie bottle and granted three wishes. What you are doing is moving. At times breezing by, other times limping, even crawling. But no matter what you’re still moving, and more importantly you’re moving forward, because it’s the only direction. Plus, you can always choose how to handle the pace.

So let’s stay positive. Here are the most positive things right now:

-Nutrition: Tonight, I ate a salad for dinner. Then I pounded a couple of Cheetos, some Amos cookies, and will later hit the unopened bag of Oreos sitting innocently in the closet. Why? Because tomorrow is a beginning. I am going all the way with this future of healthy eating. I have never been more interested in nutrition and want it to be the critical part of my life it should be. Splurging has only been an escape of self-destruction. But no more 😉

-Yoga:I will spend that $12 on any yoga class I can get into, because I love it oh so much. Now I just need to be more consistent with my other fitness goals.

-Writing: Sculpting Beauty Chapter 1 is complete for the most part. The edits for Chapters 2-4 are next. With my nutrition novel, Chasing the Beauty, well, it’s easy to write–I just have to do it. Apart from my personal writing, I have opportunities to write for Vegan websites and perhaps even a Wilmington magazine and Content Curator job.

I don’t know what adulthood is–I certainly don’t feel like I’m in that phase of it, but making decisions is definitely adulting.