5 Things That Make Me Feel Like a Real Adult

Do you feel like a real adult?

To be honest, I still feel like a 17-year-old most of the time.

But here are some things that make me feel like I’m an actual real adult:

  1. Keeping my houseplants alive. I wasn’t at all into houseplants until we moved to Arizona and then I bought one on the spur of the moment for a photoshoot in my bathroom which looked SO empty without one. To my surprise, it THRIVED in that spot (in fact, it looked so good that my mom asked where I’d gotten such a good fake the first time she saw it – it looked THAT perfect). I gave away every one of my houseplants when we moved to Utah because we were moving in with my in-laws, but when we bought our house, I bought a new plant the very first week and over the past 14 months, I’ve added at least 8 more to our house, all of which are thriving. Something about keeping them not only alive, but also GROWING makes me feel like a truly competent adult.
  2. Keeping my car clean. On our first date, Bart picked me up at my apartment and when I got in his car, I thought, “Wow, he’s really trying to impress me – this car is SPOTLESS!” Turns out, Bart ALWAYS keeps his car spotless. I’ve tried to follow his example by going to vacuum out my car every few weeks, keeping water bottles, library books, and school papers from piling up in the backseats, and throwing away the trash. My car will likely never be as clean as Bart’s, since I have four little passengers working against me most of the time, but I do all right.
  3. Having postage stamps. To be honest, I don’t even mail that many things. But just KNOWING that I have a sheet or two of stamps in my wallet at all times makes me feel like a really on-the-ball adult.
  4. Vacuuming under the couch cushions. Look, it’s not like I do this regularly. But when I DO vacuum under the couch cushions every year or so, I’m like “Yes. I rock at being a grown-up.” (My standards for being a real grown-up are, clearly, not high).
  5. Keeping all the pieces to a puzzle or game. When Ella turned 2, my sister Merrick gave her a set of 4 little wooden puzzles. Since then, these puzzles have gone through three more little sisters, we’ve moved six times and we still have ALLLLL 48 pieces. This might be my crowning life achievement right there. I want it written on my tombstone. You would think I’ve solved world hunger, that’s how proud I am of this accomplishment.

What little things make YOU feel like a real adult? I’d love to hear!

 

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14 Comments

  1. Having postage stamps makes me feel like an adult too! I’ve started sending postcards to all my nieces and nephews (3 sets) when I travel, so having postcard stamps makes that super easy, too. 😁

  2. I was so proud to have thought to pack postcard stamps on our last national park adventure- the gift shop was sold out of them!
    Other things that make me feel like an adult: paying for things with my credit card and always paying it off every month, buying a fancy drink at the coffee cart at work periodically, and holding my daughters hand protectively in a parking lot.

  3. My son started kindergarten this year and a few weeks into school I was writing a note to his teacher letting her know that I would be picking him up early for a dentist appointment. I actually texted a couple of my friends from high school exclaiming “how are we already on the other side of the note-writing thing!”

    1. Oh, I have quite a few – a fiddle leaf fig, a snake plant, a bunch of pothos plants because they are so dang easy, some succulents, and a philodendron. Plus a couple that I don’t know what they are but bought them because they were cheap and pretty.

  4. I am admittedly clean car obsessed! About twice a month I spray and wipe down the entire inside and vacuum it out in my garage… but ironically I almost never make it to the car wash to clean the outside of it haha.

  5. I’m glad to know that other full-grown adults also feel like they’re 17! Postage stamps are also one for me–I write to my grandma, so it’s important to me to keep those on hand.

    My biggest one is clean kitchen counters! Free of clutter and wiped down. My mom always talked about this, so I feel like I’m following in her footsteps.

  6. Getting up early on a Saturday morning EXCITED to clean out the refrigerator. Let’s be honest, I do this far less frequently than I should, but the fact that I get so excited and satisfied to have a clean fridge are markers of true adulthood for me.

  7. I read this post shortly after vacuuming out between the couch cushions for the first time in way too long! Definitely made me feel like a real adult. And when I learned how to fold a fitted sheet, I felt very adult-y then!

  8. Having a stash of Gatorade, crackers, and Mrs. Grass’s soup for those times you get sick. My daughter wasn’t feeling well, and I had everything she wanted to make her feel better – she actually told me I’m magical (she’s five). That’s some serious adulting.

  9. Scheduling a root canal for myself, having a will made for me and my husband, and when the handmade by my kindergartener Christmas ornament is my favorite gift make me feel adult.

  10. Stamps! I keep them in the checkbook that is now completely irrelevant because I pay everything online. But the two were a pair for so long I can’t separate them, and also I’m sure I’d accidentally throw them away if the sheet was loose.

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