You need not be sorry for her. She was the kind that likes to grow up. In the end she grew up of her own free will a day quicker than the other girls.*

I suppose there comes a time in every woman’s life when she’s standing in Barnes and Noble holding a self-help book as an employee cheerily waves her off with a, “Feel better!”  I just didn’t expect it to happen four weeks after I graduated college.

Let’s back up here a minute.  When I say self-help, I don’t mean some celebrity’s kind-of memoir loaded with pop psychology and artificial angst…not that there’s anything wrong with pop psychology under certain circumstances.  The Headmistress and I have spent many an evening debating the motives and ensuing implications of countless fictional characters, and diagnosing them with all sorts of conditions.  But the book I’m holding in my unemployed, post-grad hands is about changing your lifestyle (don’t judge me yet)…to avoid having migraines.

It turns out that there are all kinds of different things that cause migraines.  I spent years assuming that I was just stressed out.  After all, when I wasn’t in school I was a camp counselor (read: ~$2/hour, on the clock for 22 hours/day), and when I wasn’t at camp I was in my hometown trying desperately to avoid awkward encounters with old classmates.  The late teens and early twenties contain a plethora of everyday stresses, so a few headaches should be expected.  But it turns out that a lot of people try to write their headaches off or suck them up, and it’s pretty counterproductive.  So now I’m trying to be an adult by taking care of myself.

And that brings me to the heart of my musings…I really am inescapably trapped in the adult world.  I suppose I could go to grad school, but I am so excited to be done with the academic world that I’m not particularly interested in diving back in.  My life from here on out will be partially comprised of responsibilities, including but not limited to:

1. Feeding myself.
2. Finding somewhere to live where I won’t inconvenience anyone (I spent my entire final semester of school living on the floor of my friends’ hallway, and while they were all super nice about it, I’m sure they’re relieved not to be stepping over me each morning.)
3. Paying bills/paying off loans/paying for new clothes when the old ones fall apart.
4. Wearing real pants–pajamas don’t count–when I leave the house.

I might let the last one slide.  I mean, come on.  Pajamas are super comfy.  But I digress.

This weekend I will be heading out on an epic 5-day journey down the east coast.  I’ll be crashing with my brother and sister-in-theory (when they get married this year she’ll be promoted to sister-in-law), and then with my aunt and uncle.  My final destination is the organic farm where I will be WWOOFing for the next six months, and I am so excited to get there.  Of course, there are both perks and downfalls to volunteering for half a year.  Remember those adult responsibilities from a paragraph ago?  They all require money, and volunteering doesn’t provide money.  But WWOOFing host farms do provide room and board while you’re there, so I can actually cross 1 and 2 off the list.  Student loans most definitely require some sort of income, but I will still be in my grace period for the majority of this adventure, and I’ve budgeted extremely carefully to ensure that I will be able to make my first payment on time.  3?  Check!  So far so good.  I bought two new pairs of jeans this week, and I don’t really want to get goat poo on my PJs, so 4 should be taken care of.  That just leaves perks.  Let’s see…

I get to visit the South, which will be a totally new experience for me.  I get to learn new skills, like how to drive a tractor and how to clean out a chicken coop.  I get to meet new people from diverse backgrounds.  I get to build my resume so that I will be able to get awesome job offers over the next few years.  As far as I can see, the pros are outweighing the cons.

If I’m being honest, I don’t want to deal with adult responsibility.  I don’t want to put my health before taste (the headache book suggests I give up chocolate and raspberries).  I have no interest in spending money on utilities and loans and groceries.  But I am willing to get through all of those annoying aspects of grownup life if they allow me to explore the world to my adventurous little heart’s content.

Happy National Pie Day (not to be confused with Pi Day)!

M.A. 

*Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie