As a follow up to my ever so mature voyage into Webkinz World, I wanted to reflect on the ways I’ve actually been trying to prepare for my impending adulthood following graduation.
Here’s what I’ve been doing to pass as a mature adult in 2020 so far.
1. Got a part-time job.
I know it’s pretty standard practice for many young adults to get a part-time job, primarily
in the ever-glamorous service industry, as an introduction to the professional world, but it wasn’t until my last semester of college that I had the “time” to handle work on top of school.
**I fully recognize my privilege in this scenario, and I have certainly been humbled over the last month in regards to balancing a job and school. Every student who works is a hero in their own right.**
I started my job as a part-time sales associate at the Talbots store at the Eastgate Crossing shopping center (the one with the Trader Joe’s) just under a month ago, and I can safely say that working in a retail environment that caters primarily to older women has already given me the wisdom one craves with age.
I’ve absolutely loved working there so far, not only because I love the clothes and the overall Talbots brand, but the female-centered environment comprised of the women I work with and the women that come into our store has been incredibly empowering.
Going to work multiple times a week to take care of other peoples’ needs and contribute to the execution of the goals set for our store has been very eye-opening for me in many ways, and has instilled in me a greater sense of selflessness and initiative that I’m excited to enter the workforce with.
2. Built a better wardrobe.
The beauty of working for a fashion brand focused on high-quality, professional, and timeless clothes is that I’ve been able to slowly build the kind of closet I’ve always dreamed for myself.
Being in college, my every-day wardrobe for the last five years has primarily consisted of oversized comfort colors t-shirts, paired with leggings and Birkenstocks or sneakers. I’m not proud.
I’ve had plenty (aka way too many) of cute/polished pieces in my closet that have sat unworn due to either my habit of morning procrastination that requires me to wear the outfit I can most easily book it to class in, or my desire to fit in with the grunge chic look that most college campuses adopt as an unofficial uniform policy.
Dressing others has certainly helped me better understand my own sense of fashion, and I’ve been inspired to not only dress like a real human being, but also to be more adventurous and open-minded to styles that I historically have shied away from.
For example, I used to wear the same pair of pearl studs every day without fail. I figured they went with everything, and thus there was no need to look any further for fancy ear jewelry.
Over the last few months, I’ve forced myself to try crazy concepts like statement hoops (high school me is quaking in fear), dangles, and dare I say, things that are not comprised of pearls. Thankfully, pearls are very ~in~ at the moment, and so I’ve been able to live my best life whilst not straying too far from the path.
I’ve also started trying to fully embrace my “aspiring female journalist in the 1960’s who happens to love powder blue” aesthetic. Think Nancy Drew crossed with Jackie Kennedy in a Tracy Turnblad body.
3. Regulated my sleep schedule (still a work in progress)
Anyone that knows me knows that I am the poster child for insomniacs world over. Just like an owl or a sparkly vampire, I too thrive in the night.
However, when one finally falls asleep at 5 am and then has to get up for class at 10 am,
it’s not pretty.
I
’ve never had a problem staying asleep, only getting there, and so I’ve started taking melatonin each night to help me fall into a healthy slumber where my entire sleep cycle is actually completed and I can then function like a human when I wake up.
I’ve also been ~trying~ to go to bed at more reasonable times (aka before 3 am) but Tik Tok has historically had other ideas.
Needless to say, I’m working on it.
4. Drank some damn water
I’ll say it, my blood type is Coke Zero. I despise sugary sodas but could consume a
whole 2-liter of CZ in one sitting given the time and resources.
However, Coke Zero is not necessarily a requirement for life and hydrated skin, so this is where water comes in.
We all get very gung ho about drinking more water everytime we buy a snazzy new water bottle at T.J. Maxx, but rarely do we actually commit to the hydrate or dehydrate lifestyle.
Coke Zero is still very much coursing through my veins, but I’m trying every day to drink at least three bottles worth of my Hydroflask knock-off to give my body so well deserved H20. Baby steps.
5. Started reading a book ~for fun~
I used to be that kid™ that always had a book in their bag, and would take literally every
opportunity to sneak in a page or two, no matter how inappropriate the situation. I’m talking reading in band class during an extra-long rest, clarinet poised and ready to be played again in an instant.
I am not that kid™ anymore.
College is hard, and when a professor says, “read 100 pages of this textbook in one night please and thank you,” your brain gets tired, and watching Netflix seems so much more enticing.
Thus, I have not read a lot of books for pleasure since I’ve been in undergrad. By not a lot of books I mean two in four years. Retweet if you cry every time.
Now, I’m still an avid reader in that I read news articles, feature stories, and fanfiction pretty much every day (13-year-old Caroline and 22-year-old Caroline read the same amount of fanfiction and I stand by that) but I’ve struggled to make the time to read a really real book for a while now.
Back in the day, I’d make it through 5-8 chapters of a book in one day, but now with my limited free time/mental capacity, I’ve found that a chapter is about my max.
I like to read before I go to bed to help my brain relax, and I've really enjoyed giving up the digital world for a hot minute to enjoy the written word typed on a crisp page.
15/10 recommend just holding a book. You will automatically feel like an adult. I urge you to try it.