Yesterday, I woke up to a work phone call around 8:00 A.M. There was a problem at one of our events. I spent the rest of the day dealing with the issue off and on. I rearranged my day to be certain I'd be available to receive and make phone calls. I called my dad in the middle of the day. We exchanged small talk, but I was close to tears when I told him, "I don't know how you've been doing this for over 30 years." I was talking about his job, but what I really meant was, "I don't know how you've been doing adulthood for over 30 years."
I've spent this entire year trying to balance everything...a serious relationship, my career, our documentary, my health, friendships, finances, and perhaps most importantly...laundry. I've failed miserably at the laundry part and I've struggled with balance and the serious fight to remain a child when God and the world has catapulted me into adulthood.
I think you become an adult somewhere between 14 and 43. This is just based on my observations over the past 28 years. It doesn't happen overnight and a person dressed in adulthood may look very different from the next person. There are some things about adulthood that no one prepared me for and other facts of life that adults warned me about but I didn't believe...
The struggle to decide where to eat on date night is REAL
At first it was cute. Let's spend two hours going back and forth about letting the other person pick a place. You get to pick because I love you so much. It wasn't long before this little game turned dark. Hunger quickly turns to HANGer when you're trying to make it through a day.
Eric:"Where do you wanna go?"
Katie:"I don't care babe. You pick."
E:"No. You pick. Anything sounds good."
K:"Minsky's?"
E:"Eww...no. Not tonight."
K:"Harry's?"
E:"Mmmm...No."
K: "I will murder you."
The desire to cook actual meals with real ingredients
I don't know what the going rate is for a Lean Cuisine meal these days. I haven't had a frozen dinner in over a year. I made macaroni from a box a few weeks ago. It tasted like heaven. But most days I legitimately enjoy cooking. I like looking up new recipes and experimenting with spices. I'm delighted and saddened that I just used the phrase "experimenting with spices". I learned words like "blanch"and the purpose of "clarified butter." I also learned that baking soda is more than just an air freshener for the refrigerator. As I type this, I have a red sauce simmering. It will be finished in about three hours. It will take us 15 minutes to eat. This will be my biggest accomplishment of the day.
The desire to share photos of my meals made with real ingredients
Seriously, though. I spent four hours making this sauce. I want to share it with you, but since you're not coming over, please experience it through social media. I don't have kids, so posting pictures of these food babies seems only appropriate...mostly because my cat, Garth, has only so many angles. I don't want you to get tired of snapshots of him.
The need to post pictures of my cat
You can't stop me from doing this. I'm sure even Eric enjoys Garth posts while he's gone. It's good for the world to know what he's up to, like which way he's stretching while he sleeps. But seriously, when I get a free moment in life, I like to spend time with him. He's my kid, and he looks best in the Valencia filter.
Taylor Swift stopped writing songs about me
"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22!"
Just...No. I'm waiting for her release of, "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 82. Let's eat dinner at four and be in bed by seven."
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't long ago that I was jamming out to songs about being young and 22, and falling asleep reflecting on lyrics like, "But she wears short skirts, and I wear t-shirts. She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers..."
You understood me Taylor. I felt your pain.
But I woke up one day and Taylor and I weren't on the same level. These days I leave work thinking, "Give me two pina coladas. I need one for each hand," and fall asleep thinking, "Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers." Garth Brooks is officially my music soul mate. I've been waiting my whole life for this moment, but damn Taylor Swift's music is still so damn catchy. I'm willing to adjust my allegiances to the first person who writes a song about cooking a 4-hour spaghetti sauce and posting pictures of your cat.
The excitement associated with saving a buck
If I had been half as concerned with my finances as I am now, in college, I'd be a lot better off. We aren't putting blueberries in our smoothies this week because raspberries are on sale. Blueberry smoothies are my favorite, but do you know what else tastes good? The sweet flavor of financial freedom. Every dollar counts, because I may give up a lot of blueberries this year, but I'll also get to travel to my favorite lake to fish and be able to afford my student loan payments.
How I'm totally okay with watching TV in my free time
I work a lot. I know I'll look back 30 years from now and think I worked too much. But it is what it is right now and part of who I am. Something I won't regret is using free moments of my life to put on sweatpants and watch Law & Order: SVU. I used to pride myself on using free time to go out and live it up.I never watched TV or spent time reading. I never stopped. It was exciting. These days, I'm most excited by being able to breathe and sometimes that means watching a lot of Mariska Hargitay (Bonus if it's the Christopher Meloni episodes) or reading about World War II or triathlon training.
That love can get you through
I always thought that being single made me powerful and independent. I am woman. Here me roar. I think I found love at the exact time I needed it in my life. Life is funny like that and God is good. I'm not sure how I would have survived this year without Eric. Work has been an incredible challenge and the learn-as-we-go approach to life and adulthood has sometimes left us exhausted and upset, but at the end of the day, we get to say, "We will make it through this together." That is powerful. I adore that man and can't wait for our next adventure.
I've learned a lot more this year, but my sauce will be done soon and I haven't even started the meatballs. Thankfully, this Law & Order marathon will continue for another hour. Adulthood isn't easy, but I'm making it. I'm not positive, but I think the best is yet to come.
