Maybe adulthood isn't as glamorous as I imagined it would be. But maybe that's because I was only looking at the freedom and didn't know that responsibility would be standing right behind it.

I used to think being an adult was probably the most interesting thing a child could ever ask for.

You know that feeling when you're young and you're just waiting to grow up?

I thought adulthood meant freedom.

Finally, I would have my own life. Nobody would be telling me where I could or couldn't go. I wouldn't have to ask for permission before going somewhere or seek approval before doing something I wanted.

If I wanted something, I'd simply get it.

And money?

Ah! I thought having my own money would be the sweetest part.

I would finally be able to say, “This is my money. I earned it myself. I can decide what I want to do with it.”

In my head, adulthood was basically:

Freedom. Money. Independence. No unnecessary instructions.

Simple.

Until reality said, “Oh, you thought?” 😂

Because apparently, adulthood comes with something nobody mentioned:

DECISIONS.

And honestly, making decisions might be one of the worst things about being an adult.

You wake up in the morning and suddenly, nobody is telling you what to eat.

You have to decide.

Should I cook rice?

What do I even have in the house?

Do I have money to buy what I want?

Should I save this money or spend it?

Sometimes I just want someone to say:

“Come and carry your food. The food is ready.”😭😂

Because when you were younger, you didn't appreciate those things.

You could complain about what your parents cooked, but at least the decision of what to cook wasn't your problem.

Now you have to think about it yourself.

And it's not just food.

It's money.

Relationships.

Friendships.

School.

Your future.

Your choices.

Your life.

Everything suddenly becomes your responsibility.

And that was not how I pictured adulthood at all. 😂

But there are some parts of it that I genuinely enjoy.

Having my own money? Absolutely!

There's a different kind of joy that comes with having money you worked for yourself.

That little feeling of:

“Oh my God, I have my own money!” 😂

Nobody had to hand it to me.

Nobody had to ask what I wanted to use it for.

I could decide what I wanted to buy, save it, spend it, or just look at it and feel proud.

That part of adulthood?

I understand the assignment.😂

I also enjoy being able to make my own decisions.

Not because every decision I make is necessarily right, but because I get to choose.

I get to decide what I want, where I want to go, what I want to do and, eventually, learn from the consequences of those decisions.

And then there's travelling.

Growing up, my movement was practically:

House → School → Church → House.

That's it. 😂

So whenever I had an opportunity to go somewhere far, especially somewhere I had never been before, it felt like a big deal.

I remember when my friend and I gained admission together, but she was ready to resume while I wasn't because of some things happening in school.

At some point, I was waiting to go with her, and my mum was asking questions like:

“Have you been there before?”

“Do you know the place?”

And I understood why she was concerned.

When you're a child, your parents see the world differently.

They worry about where you're going, who you're going with and whether you'll be safe.

But growing up means slowly getting to experience some of those things for yourself.

You don't always need someone to accompany you.

You don't always need permission.

You start learning how to navigate unfamiliar places and situations on your own.

And honestly, that freedom is sweet. 😂

But adulthood has also taught me something about friendships.

When I was younger, my parents could simply say:

“Don't make friends with that person.”

“Don't go there.”

“That kind of friend will have a bad influence on you.”

And sometimes, as a child, you're just wondering:

“But why?”

You listen because they're your parents, but you don't necessarily understand.

Then you grow older.

You meet different people.

You experience different friendships.

You begin to notice how certain people affect your mindset, your behaviour and even the direction of your life.

And suddenly, you understand.

“Ohhh... so this is what they were trying to tell me.” 😭😂

But there's a difference now.

Nobody is necessarily standing over you saying, “Don't be friends with this person.”

You have to figure it out yourself.

You have to recognize when something isn't good for you.

You have to decide who stays and who needs to go.

You have to take responsibility for your choices.

And that's probably one of the biggest differences between being a child and becoming an adult.

When you're young, someone else makes many decisions for you.

As you grow, you realize:

“Oh. So I'm actually the one responsible for me now?” 😭

And then you start appreciating your parents differently.

Because being a parent isn't easy.

Now I understand that they weren't just giving instructions because they enjoyed saying “No.”

They were making decisions for someone else.

They were worrying.

They were protecting.

They were trying to guide a person who didn't yet understand the world the way they did.

And now, little by little, I'm learning to do some of those things for myself.

Maybe that's what adulthood really is.

It's not just about finally being free from someone's control.

It's about realizing that freedom and responsibility were packaged together.

As a child, I only wanted the freedom.

I didn't know responsibility was following closely behind it.

I wanted my own money, my own decisions, my own movement and my own life.

Now I have some of those things...

And I'm just looking at adulthood like:

“Wait... so who is going to make the decisions now?” 😂😭

Maybe nobody.

Maybe that's the whole point.

Maybe growing up is simply learning to become the person you once thought every adult already was.

And honestly...

Nobody warned me it would be this much work. 😂❤️