I Have Officially Arrived...

...to adulthood. Per my own determination. No official Olympic ruling on this one.

It's taken 28 years (my half birthday is on Monday but I know nobody's counting) but I feel like I have finally feel like I have reached the ever mythical status of "adult" whatever that actually means.

I am in a new town, in a new apartment, three-fourths through new teacher orientation in a new district for a new school, and, for the first time in my life, I have no forward trajectory in mind.

In high school, my trajectory was college. From college, my trajectory was a job. I always new my first job was a stepping stone, so the trajectory was always the next job which turned in to Thailand. The trajectory in Thailand was always back to the States and now here I am.

I still refuse to say that I am settled or rooted because I know that's not the case. But, for the first time in a long time, my trajectory switch is flipped to off. It's an odd feeling, but I'm rather digging it, as the hippies say. This new "off setting" has given me the peace and freedom to feel like I can breathe.

As I have been introducing myself to teaching colleagues and administrators these last couple days, I find myself saying something along the lines of "Hi! My name is Aubrey. I'm a senior English teacher at (insert school name here) and I AM FINALLY A REAL ADULT!" Okay, so I don't actually introduce myself as a real adult, but, for the first time in my life, I feel like I have made it. I really don't know why it has taken me so long so feel like I'm adult, but I'm finally there.

As part of my newfound adult-hood, I have been working to establish a new routine of productive habits and practices. I am constantly reminding myself that I don't have to do everything at once. That habits and procedures take time to establish and failure is inevitable. But since I'm an adult now and all and have finally gleaned this mature understanding of life I figure things should still be easier than what they were before. Cough. #Right?

Lest you think I'm becoming some sort of pretentious post-adolescent, you should know I had macaroni and cheese with hotdogs for supper. The heart wants what the heart wants.