In my mind there are three things that make an adult, and as of one week ago I officially have leveled up to all three.
First, paying for your own health insurance. Nothing says welcome to the real world, sucker, like a monthly bill for something you may eventually possibly use, but only in very specific ways that are listed in fine print on a contract that you immediately threw away or never saved to begin with. Even if you’re lucky enough to have your employer pay for your coverage – there is still a mountain of forms and paperwork waiting for you come tax season, which brings me to adult thing number two.
Second, filing your own taxes and OWING MONEY. Whether you go at it alone, hire help or purchase software, filing taxes can be incredibly daunting for even the best of us problem solvers. You know you’re an adult when not only the paperwork and time it takes to file the taxes scares you, but that for the first time you have to fear that little red number that means you owe the government and don’t qualify for all the refunds you used to when you were poor and young.
And third, the most dramatic, living without roommates. Exactly eight days ago I signed my first lease alone. They checked my credit (I didn’t need a cosigner!), I wrote a check and just like that was handed the keys. It’s quite an adult commitment to agree to live in the same one bedroom, one bathroom apartment for 12 months. Not to mention that there is something so ADULT about signing up to pay power , water, gas, and whatever else comes up. I’ve already power cleaned every surface twice, sold my sold to Comcast and fantasized about buying one of those robo-vacuum cleaners. IF I’m not an adult now, I don’t think I’ll ever be.
But keeping these very adult things in mind, I own little to no furniture/household supplies, visit my parents once a week and also spent last weekend visiting Harry Potter World in LA’s Universal studios. When I got signaled out by the Wand Master to let a wand choose me I felt like I was 11 all over again. So as much works as it is to be an adult, I still know that as long as I still enjoy the little things like I did as a child, I’ll never really grow up.
Honorable adult mentions:
- Signing up for a Costco card
- Investing in a ROTH IRA
- Dressing up for work
- Dealing with an unwelcome bug in your home – alone
Then there’s my husband, who, because he moved abroad right after college, is now 28 years old and still has never signed a lease of any kind. But we do have a mortgage, life insurance, retirement accounts, and a lawn-mower. So yeah, #adults!
ah! a lawn! I vote lawn maintenance as the 4 thing to becoming a real adult.