I still take a lollipop at the bank teller’s counter, I’m planning a vacation to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and I have a number of coloring books on my shelf that get used quite regularly. Oh, might I also mention that I’ll be turning twenty-two this year and am graduating in less than a month. Clearly, I’m an adult, who is completely prepared for the real world.

Part of me feels mature – I’ve got so many responsibilities already and I’m not even out of college and living on my own, and I handle them quite well, if I do say so myself. But then I think of all the moments and events where I think I’ll truly realize that I’m an adult. In the real world. And have left childhood, teenage years, and college life all behind. A lot of times I feel closer to 30 than 20, however most days I just feel like this.

But there are a few moments I look forward to (and some I can already proudly say I partake in!) as things that will make me really feel like an adult:

♥ Paying the rent (I don’t want to give up my money, but having my own place and being financially independent is probably at the top)
♥ Having a 9-5 job. Or a non-retail job. Working nights and weekends is no fun.
♥ Hearing the click of my shoes while walking (Okay, so I’ve already got this down and man, does it make me feel fantastic!)
♥ Lunch dates and other appointments. Especially when writing them down in my planner.
♥ Coordinating furniture. I live for the day I own furniture sets and decor that matches.
♥ Dinner parties and potlucks
♥ Just having my own business cards makes me feel grown-up, but exchanging business cards (or, alternatively, leaving them in fishbowls at restaurants for free lunch) is one step up.