Nowadays, the definition of “adulthood” is a little hazy.
Unlike days of yore, it’s not just leaving the nest, getting a job, marrying the girl next door, and producing a flock of babies.
Adulthood is especially flexible for millennials in NYC, where we stand tall like the mature adults we are...with our eyes perpetually looking down at our phones.
Look, we don’t need to know how to change a tire, or file our own taxes, or even do our own laundry. There are plenty of people to do those things for us.
Who says “knows the best places to order Seamless from for great food at minimal cost” isn’t a valuable life skill?
1. I can get anywhere I want... without being in charge of getting there
I know how to get around this city and I can give directions to any tourist who asks (as long as it’s in Manhattan between Delancey St. and 95th St...or Williamsburg).
[anad]
Yet, I don’t have to take any responsibility in my navigation. As soon as I’m on the subway or in the cab, I’m free to read, sleep, or fantasize about the apartment I’ll have when I become a millionaire. No worrying about keeping my hands at 10 and 2 and using my turn signal!
2. I pay my own rent... but my super unclogs my shower drain
I may pay too much rent to live in a shoebox, but at least I can sign my own name on rent checks (JK, my landlord moved us to online payments this year) and that’s something anyone should be proud of.
But after a few months of living in my new apartment, we may have called our super to unclog the shower drain. My male roommate was not amused.
3. I know how to do my own laundry... but I don’t have to
Separate darks from lights! Use a color catcher! Don’t put anything nice in the dryer!
Or...get your laundry done by the professionals across the street.
(Confession: I am actually too OCD to surrender my laundry to strangers. But in theory, I could easily outsource this “adult” task.)
4. I can go on nice dates... with people I met on an app
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I’m a boss bitch with some great first date fodder and I deserve to be taken somewhere with dim lighting and fancy cocktails / an outdoor patio and live music.
Who am I on this date with, you ask? Our thumbs mutually swiped right on another. There’s nothing wrong with online dating—but be honest, doesn’t it take you back to video games of our youth? Is it just me?
5. I’ve finally started budgeting... but don’t have to leave the house to shop
I’ve set a budget, I’ve downloaded an app to help me save, I’m really doing the dang thing.
But LOL remember when your parents had to drive the car to the store, fill up a cart, and haggle with the cashier who didn’t ring up the sale price? Any item I’m saving up for is an item I can purchase from the comfort of my couch.
6. I make my own doctor’s appointments... without speaking to a soul
I don’t know why making your own doctor’s appointments is such a millennial milestone, but it is. I know friends who still go back to their hometown every time they need to see a doctor.
I have my dentist, dermatologist, and gyno right here in the city. But I found them all on ZocDoc and make my appointments with my keyboard instead of my phone.
7. I don’t live with all of my friends... but I still have a roommate
College is all about sharing food and clothes and late night TV binges with your five closest friends. I’m an adult now. As if!
But be real. I live in New York City. I have a roommate. We just don’t share bowls of popcorn and paint each other’s nails. (And not only because he’s a guy.)
8. I read more often than I watch TV... which I do using my parents’ Netflix account
I have a New York Public Library card so I can check out any e-book I want. Who needs cable when you have practically infinite access to prose?
When I do want to succumb to television’s sweet temptation, I do so using the Netflix account that my parents pay for. Hey, sharing is caring!
9. I go to museums... on “pay as you wish” nights
We live in the cultural center of the United States. Let’s take advantage of that, shall we?
[anad2]
Let’s also remember we’re still broke af and it’s perfectly acceptable to look up every museum’s “pay as you wish” hours to plan our visits around our budget. (P.S. Museum Mile is on Tuesday, June 13 this year!)
10. I go to a lot of concerts... including Justin Bieber
One of the greatest things about living in New York is that every show you’d ever want to see comes through town. I enjoy live music more than any other activity, and smaller shows in more intimate venues are my preference.
But when every show you’d ever want to see comes through town, that also means I drop $$ to see Justin Bieber because even though he’s younger than me and the vast majority of Beliebers are even younger than that, I take advantage of the live music opportunities NYC presents me. And my inner teeny-bopper is not sorry.
[Feature Image Courtesy HelloGiggles]