If you’ve been on Facebook lately, you may have been inundated with posts of people graduating from college {or about to graduate for those of you who graduate next weekend}. I have a lot of friends who are a year or so younger than me, so that’s pretty much all that my newsfeed consists of these days. As I was browsing the photos last night, it all of a sudden hit me – I’ve been out of school for a whole year. Whoa. Can it really have been a year already?
I remember the days leading up to my graduation. While I was excited to be done with college, I was also pretty much terrified. I mean, think about it. All I’ve ever know is school. Years are measured by semesters and how long until this break or that break. All of that was about to go away and I had to be an actual adult. Needless to say, I had a few minor panic attacks over it in the last couple weeks leading up to my graduation.
Looking back on it now, I’m not sure what I was so scared of. I mean, change is scary in general, but here I am a year later, livin’ it up in adult world, and I’m no worse for wear. In fact, I’d say I’m better for it. Before I graduated, I guess I was thinking there’d be this grand moment when I truly felt like an adult; a moment where I’d feel different or something. I assumed that moment would be when I crossed the stage at graduation. And yet when I finally did, I didn’t feel any different. So then I thought, Ok, I’ll feel more like an adult when I start my job. But still I didn’t.
The thing is, “becoming an adult” is a subtle transition. There’s no grand moment with fireworks to signal your adulthood. You just kind of take it one day at a time, and before you know it, a year has gone by and you’re doing your adult thing. At least, that’s how it’s been for me. I’m not saying it hasn’t been a whirlwind of a year. I mean, I got married for goodness’ sake….and moved into a new house…and started a new job… There have been a lot of big transitions for me this past year, but I’ve always had my friends and family by my side. Not having to do it alone makes it a lot easier.
Even with the ups and downs that come with all this change, I’d say this year – my first “official” year of adulthood – has been pretty dang good! I have to admit, I still don’t totally feel like a “real” adult. But then again, what is a real adult? When you’re a kid, adults seem like these much older, much all-knowing figures who can do just about anything. But then when you become an adult yourself, you realize there are so many things that adults still don’t know. Everyone is going through stuff and trying to figure life out. It’s an interesting revelation, and one that can totally change your perception of “real” adults.
So for any of you graduates out there looking for some AHA! moment signaling your adulthood, don’t. It probably won’t come. Just live life one day at a time. Enjoy it, learn from it, be better because of it. And always keep your friends and family close. Before you know it, you’ll be looking back on a whole year of adulthood, and, with any luck, you’ll feel successful.
P.S. Of course I had to include a picture of me and hubs at our graduation, if anything just to break up the monotony of all this text!
I Heart All 