An Almost Grown-Up Christmas

As a child Christmas is very me, me, me but I am now 23 and, as my mother keeps telling me, this means I don't get the same amount of surprises as the little ones. Now I'm not bothered about amounts, I'm a quality over quantity kind of girl, but sadly Christmas usually means useless presents so this year I took charge and kindly requested a whole host of gifts from her. I was very clear, all I really wanted was some pyjama's, anything else would be a bonus, but I had listed a variety so that I wouldn't know what was coming. I thought this was a cunning plan and somehow, magically, even those who didn't have access to the gift gave me wonderfully thoughtful presents.

Some of my favourite presents, including a beautiful long chained gold bird necklace, a hand knitted headband 
and an Apple Magic Mouse to stop me getting RSI with my incessant trackpad use.

I loved spending time with my friends on our traditional Christmas Eve pub crawl, plus my family and my boyfriend. This is his first year out of university (he did Dentistry which is a 5 year course) and he didn't love his short 4 day break (that's very short when you're used to 2/3 weeks) but we crammed in seeing both of our families and the constant moving around felt very adult. Suddenly we weren't just sat in front of the television eating chocolate, we were in the car moving around and he was entertaining my five year old brother playing Halo on the XBox and competing over the noise of my family all talking at once. Seriously impressive if you take into account the fact my boyfriend is an only child who is not used to having lots of children around and my brother argues with everyone he plays with and even shoots those on his team.

22, 22 years ago.

When my lovely mother was 22 she was engaged to my dad.  In June 1987 they went on a holiday to Newquay with my uncle and his wife, stayed in a nice hotel and drank too much.  Then nine months later there I was.  Well...that's how I imagine it went.

 My Mom and I in Newquay when I was a little girl.

22 years later I clock it's June.  I'm 22.  I'm imagining potential excursions with a boy...and in nine months almost to the day it is my birthday.  One difference though...I'm not pregnant, nor will I be anytime soon.  So as I declared this to the boy, saying how weird it is that generations have changed as they have, he said: "But you realise we have friends that are engaged and have children."

He's right.  Turns out our generations aren't all that different.  We are actually old enough to do all these things it's just that we have chosen not to as yet.  We are grown-ups now.  How scary.  So when do you know you're a grown-up?

• When you're friends have been in relationships longer than some people who are getting married.
• When you're friends are moving in together.
• When you're friends get a mortgage.
• When you're friends get engaged.
• When you're friends have a baby.
• When you're friends get married.

This, for me though is all speculation.  I realise it but I haven't done any of these yet, people I know have.  So know do I know?

• I get annoyed when people get in my way on the street.
• I get annoyed with queueing on a Saturday in town because I can no longer go in during the week.
• I tell 12 year olds off for giggle and chucking things in the cinema because they're stopping me from watching the film.
• I tell my younger siblings off and they actually listen to me.
• I go to work 5 days a week and now see that as normal rather than a chore.
• The thought of moving in with someone isn't all that scary.
• I don't feel the need to get drunk all the time because hangovers are just frustrating and ruin the precious 2 days you have off work.
• People actually think I am capable of doing a grown-up jobs.
• I am capable of doing a grown-up job.

So I am officially a grown-up.  I realise this isn't a very grown-up post it's just all hit me in one go.  So how do I adapt to this?  Do I settle down?  Do I find a steady, career-focused job at a boring company?  Do I chuck away all my cartoon t-shirts and start wearing pencil skirts?

Naaa.  I'm still me.  Still sat here in my nightie under a blanket, both of which I've had since I was 12, because I have tonsillitis.  Definitely not a grown-up illness.  The difference is at 9am tomorrow I'll be going to work not skiving school.