"Oh you know, just ADULTING"

The early/mid-twenties are known to me as the post-college “adulting” years. Adulting is a term that has been created (I think recently?) referring to young, new college grads entering the work force for the first time in their lives and doing adult things, hence adulting. Adulting is HARD. Bills and stuff. Keeping a clean house all the time. WHAT ARE THESE THINGS. Adulting is a silly word, let’s be honest. It comes with a “haha I’m adulting now haha…” in an awkward, nervous, and unsure tone. But I think people are secretly loving it.

At times, adulting is indeed challenging, but it can also bring a lot of fun. I have friends and colleagues who are spread out across the globe doing their adulting thing; from New York, to Australia, from San Diego to Thailand. It’s entertaining and inspiring to watch everyone get their bearings, as they inhabit new places with new people who provide new experiences and opinions. It’s wonderful to see friends join intramural teams, yoga studios, dance studios, volunteer groups, and even cooking classes now that they have the means to do so when they didn’t before. People are finding pieces of who they are in new places, which otherwise would not be found if they didn’t have an itch of curiosity to explore the world.

Adulting is intimidating. Taking those first steps into a career you’re kind of interested in, but still hesitant about is terrifying, but that’s how we gain experience and mold our passions into our ideal careers. Even if it takes a few years to get there, the growth and exploration that my friends and I are experiencing right now in our early twenties is shaping the framework for how our lives will look down the road. We aren’t supposed to have our shit together yet. We are doing exactly what we are meant to be doing right now. As long as we are staying true to who we want to become, and leading by example, and making positive impacts (small or large), we are already successful in life and will continue to be. Work hard because it’s the right thing to do, not because you’re expecting a reward from it. Love deeply without the expectation of being loved back. Support your friends, even if there’s something you disagree on because there’s always something the other person could work on, or could have done differently.

Some people believe that college is supposed to set you up for the rest of your life, that your degree will magically bring good fortune. Not true. It can put you on a path which may take you on a journey towards your ultimate goal, or it can leave you completely stumped, thinking “What the hell do I do now?” The years after the “college years” are the years where we are preparing ourselves for future endeavors. Adulting is going to be filled with difficulties, but also a lot of learning experiences. So all I can say is be fluid. Accept change as it comes. Learn as much as possible in whatever situation. If there’s a point in time when you feel stuck, get into nature, do something uncomfortable that shifts your perspective and uses a different part of your brain.

For all the twenty-somethings out there trying to “adult,” you are not alone! Take a few deep breaths and enjoy this ride while you can!

Jill