A few days ago, I was talking with my kids about voting and how you have to be 18 years old to vote. My daughter asked me how old I was. “36” I answered without much thought. My son chimed in, “That’s two times 18.”
I stopped in my tracks. What?!? Can I possibly have reached the age where I’ve been a legal adult longer than I was a child? I quickly checked the mental math, and yes. It was true.
It got me thinking about how much things have changed in the last 18-ish years since I was in college. How much I’ve changed.
THEN vs. NOW
Then… I spent a lot of time planning outfits to go out on dates or out with friends. It was fun to dress up!
Now… I literally asked my husband if we could go to a casual place for Valentine’s Day because it’s too stressful to get dressed up.
Then… I shopped in the kids department so I could wear teeny, tight T-shirts.
Now… I shop in the kids department so my actual children will have something to wear.
Then… “Cooking” meant microwaving some Easy Mac or, if I was feeling ambitious, making a grilled cheese and heating up some canned soup.
Now… I meal plan, I grocery shop, and I prepare (generally) nutritious, balanced meals almost every night for my family. And did I mention that I also pack eight school lunches each week?
Then… My “hot pants” were shiny, blue pleather pants that I wore to go dancing.
Now… “Hot pants” are those workout pants that are way too fleecy to actually work out in because they literally make me too hot.
Then… To talk to my friends, I had to call them on a connected-to-the-wall phone with a springy spiral cord. (Unless we were chatting on AIM.)
Now… Texting is basically the only way I communicate with anyone. (I may be an old millennial, but I’m still a millennial.)
Then… I didn’t exercise much or eat very well, yet I stayed pretty thin (despite not thinking so at the time).
Now… I exercise regularly and eat 10 times more veggies than I used to, but my body is definitely a different, rounder shape. Thanks, babies!
Then… I thought I had financial bragging rights because I was willing to live in a cat-pee scented, mold-infested dump of an apartment because it was only $115 a month for rent.
Now… My husband and I have owned our home for 11 years and our main goal is to pay off the mortgage in the next five years. #RealFinancialBraggingRights
Then… Going to a party meant meeting up with tons of friends, grabbing a red Solo cup, and staying out til 2 a.m.
Now… Going to a party means singing “Happy Birthday,” making small talk with parents I don’t know, and dealing with my over-excited, over-sugared kid.
Then… The thought of having kids was so distant to me, I couldn’t really even imagine what it would be like.
Now… My entire world revolves around my kids. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
