On Attempting Adulthood
One of the main problems with living in Italy is that my friends seem to think that my life is now perfect. My days are filled with beautiful Italian men, tripping over themselves to buy me gelato and cruise me around town on their Vespas before whisking me off for a dinner of calorie free pizza and wine. News flash friends: I moved to a different country, not INTO a romantic comedy. So here is the harsh reality of attempting to be an adult, even in the beautiful perfection of a place like Italy. I used to be a morning person. One of those high-energy, wide awake as soon as my feet hit the floor kind of person that I now detest. The first half hour of my day, I struggle with just being awake. I think "I can't do this. This is a mistake. I should just go back to bed." These thoughts prevail until that magical liquid called coffee seeps into my brain cells and tricks me, at least temporarily, into making me think that I am capable of adulting. I turn into Wonder Woman for a short time period: cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking while simultaneously working on lesson plans and singing along to a YouTube playlist. I even manage to fool other people into thinking that I am an adult at a little place called "my job." I work, take care of my cats, pay bills, go grocery shopping. I am capable of performing many responsible, adult-like tasks. But I must admit that I LOVE the moment that I get home, put on flannel pants and my old college sweatshirt, throw my hair up in a ponytail, pour myself a glass of wine into a plastic cup and stream Pretty Little Liars. Actual age: 36. Mental age: 21. I write this as a tribute to all my friends out there who are real and honest with me about the struggles of adulthood. I will always protect my sources, but I adore when someone tells me that their kids are being jerks, or that their husband infuriated them so much that they hit him with a shower head. Thank God for my friends who are couples that confess to me together that marriage is hard, instead of venting behind each other's backs. Life is tough and a daily battle but it is so much easier when we share our struggles and when we laugh. Thank you to my other struggling adults that keep me laughing. Let's keep it real and keep it going. Together we can get through this maze called adulthood.