Adulting is Hard - 5 Things I Wasn't Prepared For
The title says it all, #adulting is hard.
I remember wishing the time away when I was a kid. I could not wait to grow up. What the heck was I thinking? Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of great things about being an adult. For example: I can have food delivered to our door within an hour, with just a few taps on my smartphone. I can also indulge in my favorite adult beverages. And, I can stay up as late as I want. Although, with two little kids, that one is really wasted on me. I’m out by 8:30pm most nights.
Yes, there are plenty of highlights to being an adult. But, what about the nitty gritty stuff that we don’t hear about in our youth? Sure, we knew we’d have to pay bills, get a job, rent or buy a home, do our own laundry. But, hey, grownups, where were ya on the really weird and crappy (you’ll get the pun later) stuff? I don’t remember reaching adulthood, and realizing that these things would be a part of my life; and sometimes even recurring issues. Some are gross, some are a total pain in the butt, some are quite funny. But, I was definitely unprepared for all.
Here are 5 adulty things I didn’t expect:
1) Critters -
We live near an open field and a creek, so we’ve been exposed to some wildlife we’ll call it. I’m using the terms ‘critters,’ and ‘wildlife’ because they don’t gross me out as much as ‘rodents.’ My husband has become a pro at setting traps, and he is quite proud when he catches something. He’s like your cat when it kills a bird, and presents it to you on your doorstep. All puffed up with pride, purring in excitement. We’ve also had to channel our inner Sherlock Holmes when trying to locate their source. Their comings and goings appear most sinister. At times, they have infiltrated our home, and found (temporary) safety under our kitchen sink. This is the one that gets me. I did not, at any point in my younger years, think I’d have to put on rubber gloves and crawl under my kitchen sink to clean up mouse droppings. But, I can now add exterminator to my resume. Because I’m obviously going to embellish to make it sound more bada**.
2) Regular Maintenance of Appliances -
WHY do we have to clean out the insides of our washing machines and dishwashers? Don’t they self clean while cleaning all the other things inside of them? How have we not figured this one out yet, people? Oh, and the microwave. And the oven. And the fridge. Basically any household appliance. I don’t remember ever seeing my mom measure out vinegar and baking soda to clean our dishwasher. Or drop a tablet in the garbage disposal, or washing machine. Of course, I probably never saw her do these things because I didn’t care what was going on with our appliances. As long as there was a clean sippy cup, and snacks in the fridge, I was good. But still, it wasn’t mentioned that this kind of upkeep was necessary.
3) Calendaring -
Oh. My. Gosh. This one drives me insane. Family gatherings, holidays, birthday parties. The coordination alone is enough to make you lose your marbles. Or, just give up and never leave your house. Then, throw in a couple of kids with their own activities, and this basically becomes a full time job. The number of birthday party invitations kids receive is craziness. And how do you decide which ones to go to? There are often 2-3 parties per weekend, people! I don’t recall ever hearing my parents talk about this as being challenging. But, again I guess I was too busy enjoying myself at these events to even notice if there was any work that went into getting there.
4) Putting Out a Fire -
Okay, this one is funny to those who know me, because my dad is a retired fireman. But you guys, I didn’t think I’d ever be near a real one. Let me point out, this item is actually on the list for my husband. He was the hero, but also the one who started it. So… Everything turned out fine, no one was hurt, and it’s all a distant memory. Except for the constant reminder in the form of charred wood on our fence. How many of you thought you’d really need to bust out your garden hose to put out a fire on your fence one day? If you answered yes, then you were clearly more prepared for adulthood than myself and my husband.
5) Wish Lists -
This one isn’t about a task or incident that I wasn’t prepared for. It’s more about how much your wants change as you ‘level up’ (as my husband fondly calls it) in adulthood. We have now officially reached the age where our Birthday and Christmas wish lists look like this:
Caitlyn - outdoor lights, new dish towels, new dishwasher, screen door, vacuum
Wes- BBQ, home security system, tools, fishing line, a comfortable recliner
When did we become so practical and grown up?! I vaguely remember my mom getting kitchen gadgets, or the more recent and infamous ‘stocking-full-of-socks,’ but I guess I didn’t think it would happen to me so quickly. I will put it out there though, no one wants a stocking full of socks. Sorry, Dad.
These are just 5 of the sometimes humorous, always unexpected adulty things I’ve encountered. At least now I know there will be plenty more to come.
Tell me, whats something you didn’t expect about adulting?