what makes you a grown up?

Well besides being able to sit with a chilled glass of Riesling in a bubble bath with candles everywhere... What is it? Pushing the tender age of 24, I consider myself to be "grown up." Whatever that means. Actually, that might be pushing it... at the very least, I think some grown up things. A lot of people consider MANY of the below "questions" to be what makes them a grown up. For me? Not so much right now.

• Moving out of the house? No. I am saving too much money living at home right now, which is planning for my future, which is grown up.
• Working a full time job? No. I work full time to put food beer on the table. Psyche. This definitely made me feel for real.
• Having a relationship/get married? I know a LOT of people who are in relationships that are so juvenile, unhealthy, and unstable that this definitely need not apply to grown-uphood. Don't get me wrong, grown up relationships are great, I know, but I think it was important for me to be independent and grown up on my own before I could grow up with someone else.
• Hitting a certain age? Definitely not. There are too many immature/ignorant/naive people out there whose beliefs/actions are not very grown up.
• Being financially independent? Eh possibly- I pay most of my own bills.
• Having a child? No. See: Teen Mom.
• Taking care of yourself? Getting warmer... As long as I am not camping. I am very hygienic. I try to eat healthy. I take myself to the doctors when I feel like shit. I am mildly active, and I know that is ridiculous and needs to be brought up 10 notches.
• Being independent? Ahhh, getting there. I felt really grown up as soon as my parents left me walking in the middle of the UConn campus on my own for the first time in my life. There I was with no one hovering over me watching what I was doing every second. My new-found freedom was a little too much at times and I learned some pretty good life lessons.
  

What DOES make us grown up? Being on time to catch a bus? Being early to catch the early bus? Setting up retirement plans? Cooking dinner for yourself? Going food shopping? (side note: food shopping is one of my FAVORITE things to do and one of the most grown up things I feel I do, not sure why, but I love it.) Transitioning from drinking to get drunk to enjoying adult beverages or moving from Natty Lights to Sam Adams.

What does being a grown up even mean? To some its milestones in life. But I think it’s more of a mindset—the decisions I make and the actions I take. I feel more adult developing my own beliefs and standards than I did when I started working or living on my own. I know how I want to be treated and how I want to treat others. I became comfortable in my own skin and I think that was an important part of growing up. Putting things into perspective and not freaking out that I am having a bad hair day or that I am tired or cold really help to balance my mind. Don’t get me wrong, I am the first to complain when my Miss Frizzle locks are forming, but the big picture is my jam. C’est la vie.

As grown up as I like to think I am, I have a feeling my mom does not see me as such. My parents are going away for 2 weeks and she left some gentle reminders around the house that kindly remind me otherwise...

Kacey: Mom, I am taking these down as soon as you leave.
Mom: They BETTER be up when I get home.
Kacey: Not a chance.
Mom: I don't want my house smelling like trash, my tub clogged, mailbox full, a dirty shower, or a broken septic from tampons.
Kacey: I'm not getting my period. And Nate doesn't use tampons.
Mom: Are you sure?
Kacey: Umm yeah mom, pretty sure. But I will leave the notes up as a reminder in case any of my girlfriends come over.
Mom: Don't get smart with me or I won't bring you back any booze.

Life is good.