Since being in D.C., I have realized that adulthood here looks nothing like the adulthood I thought I was participating in back home. In Columbus, adulthood consists of setting your alarm 25 minutes prior to class so you have time to put your hair up in a semi-neat ponytail, slip on your sweatpants and still make it to class on time. In Columbus, adulthood consists of cooking canned ravioli in the microwave and eating it with a dirty spoon from the sink that you pried off of the plate that has been in there for a week. Finally, adulthood in Columbus is calling your mom three times a week to make sure you can use canola oil instead of vegetable oil in that one cookie recipe, or if it's okay to wear the same pair of leggings four days in a row. Adulthood in Columbus is staying up until 12:30 a.m. every night, including school nights.
Here in D.C., adulthood looks like setting your alarm at 6:45 a.m. because you have to leave at 7:50 a.m. in order to get two miles away by 9:00 a.m. Adulthood in D.C. looks like elbowing a minimum of six people a day fighting to make it onto the metro before the "Stand back, doors closing." Adulthood in D.C. is wearing tennis shoes with your dress until you get to your desk, then changing into heels. Adulthood in D.C. is never making eye contact with the people in metro stations, because as soon as you do, they will follow you until you get onto the train. Adulthood means being tired at 7:30 p.m. and forcing yourself to stay awake until at least 9:30 p.m.
That seems tough, right? It isn't all that bad here in D.C. though. Here in Washington, it's cooking that same ravioli in a pan on the stove with a plastic spoon, instead of a dirty one, so it actually tastes better. It means seeing new and exciting things everyday in a city full of people that are in the same shoes you are. It means being a short distance from some of the most important and beautiful landmarks and monuments in our nation's history. It means always having something to do and somewhere to go, a lot of which is free! Finally, it's realizing that you're in the nation's capital at one of the most interesting times ever and embracing everything it has to offer.
As it turns out, adulthood isn't about what you do, it's all about where you do it.
Here in D.C., adulthood looks like setting your alarm at 6:45 a.m. because you have to leave at 7:50 a.m. in order to get two miles away by 9:00 a.m. Adulthood in D.C. looks like elbowing a minimum of six people a day fighting to make it onto the metro before the "Stand back, doors closing." Adulthood in D.C. is wearing tennis shoes with your dress until you get to your desk, then changing into heels. Adulthood in D.C. is never making eye contact with the people in metro stations, because as soon as you do, they will follow you until you get onto the train. Adulthood means being tired at 7:30 p.m. and forcing yourself to stay awake until at least 9:30 p.m.
That seems tough, right? It isn't all that bad here in D.C. though. Here in Washington, it's cooking that same ravioli in a pan on the stove with a plastic spoon, instead of a dirty one, so it actually tastes better. It means seeing new and exciting things everyday in a city full of people that are in the same shoes you are. It means being a short distance from some of the most important and beautiful landmarks and monuments in our nation's history. It means always having something to do and somewhere to go, a lot of which is free! Finally, it's realizing that you're in the nation's capital at one of the most interesting times ever and embracing everything it has to offer.
As it turns out, adulthood isn't about what you do, it's all about where you do it.
Nice blog post...thanks for letting us in on adulthood in DC, Jordan. The tennis shoes things until you get to your desk....same thing in Columbus if you happen to work downtown. Cindi did it everyday when we both worked in downtown. Completely acceptable. :)
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