#Off To Never-Never Land

Lately I've been reminiscing (Like I always do) about the good old days. I'm talking the late-night-playground-hide-and-seek-finger-painting-power-ranger-TAG-you're-it-N64-coloring-outside-the-lines-cowboys-and indians-peanut-butter-sandwich-days. And I've been getting uber depressed because HELLO all I wanted was to grow up!!!! I feel like I wasted my childhood wanting to grow up...So instead of wasting my WHOLE adult life wishing I could go back I'm going to make a top 10 list of things I love about being a grown-up.

#10 - You're old enough to understand the "You'll understand when you're older" stories! I hated this. I hated it more than anything in the world. I did not want to wait until I was older to understand. What was shoved so far up your butt that you could not explain in full detail your gruesomely graphic night to a 4-year-old? MAN! This was probably my ultimate piss-off growing up.

#9 - You can DRIVE! Which is short for you have INDEPENDENCE!!!! What? Excuse me? Why would I want this independence you speak of? Let me tell  you good Sir! Would you like to go to your friend's house tonight? Well, go! Would you like to go to the store to pick yourself up some new slacks? Well, go! And here's the best part, you can take yourself!! Nobody has to watch you try on 1375 pairs of slacks to find the one that flatters your pattootie! What a glorious day!

#8 - You can be anything you want to be, right now! What did you want to be when you grew up? Well, I'm on my dandy-pants way to becoming a nurse, but do you know what I wanted to be when I was 5? A tiger. No, you did not read that wrong. I wanted to be a tiger. OBVIOUSLY I can't be a tiger, but I will be a nurse, I also could have been an astronaut, a teacher, a cowboy, a pilot, a lawyer, an accountant, an ice cream store owner, a zoo-keeper....well you get the idea. Now is the time to start DOING people! What do you want to be when you grow up? You should just do it.

#7 - You can tell hilarious stories that have more depth than farting (although, farting will always be funny)! Let's get real, how many of my conversations start with "So the funniest thing ever happened" or "You will never guess what happened" or, my personal favorite, "Have I told you about the time I threw up on a cowboy?". My life is an abundant source of hilarious stories (usually at my expense, sometime's at a cowboy's), and my friend's lives also seem to be an abundant source of hilarious stories. This is probably why we get along so well! Anyways, the point of this one is we understand more = we find more things funny. However just because I'm 15, 20, 30, or 50 years older, does not mean farts become any less funny. I'm older, not more mature.

#6 - Your parents don't get mad at you anymore(kinda)! This one is great. My parents have become my bestest best friends. They give me guidance (which I need a lot of, because let's get real, I have no idea what I'm doing), and they respect you. Because now you're old enough for respect as an equal! Yay, equality! They actually laugh at my misfortune and wrong-doings now, not scold me. Mostly they don't get mad because when I screw up, it's not their fault anymore. Didn't learn your lesson when you were 16? Sorry buddy, it's jail time for you! (That was a joke - as of today I have never been in jail)

#5 - You get to travel the world and experience life! I understand that travelling is wicked expensive and stuff, but it's so WORTH IT! To dive into another culture, to experience first hand the other side of the world, not in pictures, but in really real life. It's something everyone should do, and it's something you don't appreciate until you're older and understand and LOVE the experience of seeing things, and doing things you would never see or do anywhere else. This is a must have on a list of things to love about growing up.

#4 - You can use the oven! And the stove! And every cooking device that is not a microwave. And you are STILL allowed to use the microwave! Now you can make the most delicious meals, because you have the tools essential for good meal prep! Now all you need is a recipe book, and some ingredients, and you can make me some supper :) (if all else fails - Kraft Dinner with Hot Dogs and Ketchup, it's the never fail meal.)

#3 - You can buy things for yourself! This seems like it would not be so cool. But it totally is! I used to have to ask my mother every day for $1.06 so that I could walk to the 7-11 by my house and buy myself a slush. I used to have to ask my mom for $20 to go to a movie with my friends because I didn't have money to go myself. I used to have to ask my mom for money for everything, and I'm pretty sure the most liberating feeling to me now is when I go out, and whip out my OWN money that I earned MYSELF and buy things for ME. Because I depend on my mom for a lot of things, but money for my slush and movies? Not any more. (except it is still AWESOME when she pays ....)

#2 - You can have desert for dinner! Cookies before supper? Sure! Ice cream for breakfast? Who says you can't?? It's a dream come true! The first time I ever had ice cream for breakfast I'm pretty sure I peed a little bit I was so excited. End of story. Completely awesome. You just have to be prepared to live with the consequences....

#1 - NO BEDTIME!!!!!!* Ummmm hello! The bane of my existence growing up was my bedtime. It slowly started going up 8 oclock ---> 9 oclock ----> 10oclock....until finally IT DIDN'T MATTER! If I wanted to stay up late, I could! No questions!! What's this you say? My favorite movie is on TV at 2:30 AM? The one I have on VHS, DVD, and Blu Ray? SURE! I'd love to stay up and watch it! Work in the morning? Psshhh by the time I'm done the movie it will be time to get up to get ready anyways :)

So there you have it! I had a great childhood, and it's looking like a bright future. Growing up is completely awesome, so let's embrace the day and make it something worth looking back on!

*Now that I don't have a bedtime I find myself getting into bed at like 7:30...it's nice to have the freedom to stay up until whenever though!