Growing up is hard to do.

Growing up. The dream of our adolescent absentmindedness, the nightmare of the almost college grad. Unfortunately growing up is a double edged sword for us early-twenty-something women. On one hand we're faced with the dreadful reality of leaving the comforts of our homes (or college apartments) to move to a new "grown up" apartment - aka no collection of wine and liquor bottles on top of your cabinetry, no more mess you've always been "too busy with school" to clean up, and no more man shackers (well maybe that last one isn't true, just hopefully they'll buy you dinner first!). And, on the other hand as we are forced into maturing, the men still get to act 18, eat and drink whatever they want, and somehow never grow up.

I feel like I'm taking this growing up thing with ease and grace. My mature wine and dine parties and intellectual conversation is drizzled with a little bit of childish fun. Tonight I wore a dress, wore make up in my own home, and had a dinner party for Easter with some friends. And as I watched my man friend cook up a delicious meal (first time in my life a MAN has cooked me a dinner that wasn't from a box.) for me and my compadres, I realized this is the first major holiday on my own. No Mom, No Dad. No relatives whatsoever. And while for some that may not be a big deal, for me it was. Step one toward REALLY growing up.

But why DO I have to grow up when men get to LOOK older (and hotter) but still get to pull the same ol' Sophomore year of college shenanigans. Why is it okay for the 24 year old to play mind games, cheat on his girlfriend, and cook ME dinner, but if it were the other way around, I'd be called immature, immoral, wrong, etc. And I'm twenty-one. So not only do men get to hold on their figure longer, wrinkled less quickly, and NEVER have a count down of a biological clock to adhere to, they get a three year age gap grace period? Well shucks. IS THIS WHAT WE GET FOR EVE EATING THE APPLE?

So this is what I say, fuck growing up. I'll cover my face in anti-wrinkle cream (yes, at 21) just to be able to bake by the pool, I'll stay up till 4am drunk & dancing on tables, and I WILL continue to act like the real world is a lie your parents tell you to go to college if it means that this lingering time slot between now and "growing up" can be as wild as possible.

Don't underestimate the power of tequila, the ego-boost of a great pair of heels, or the reality that, despite what we may want to believe the real world will be there tomorrow, so live it up tonight.

And P.S. that mess I'm too busy with school to clean up, it can wait till after finals week.

-G