18

This past week, I turned 18, a big year for obvious reasons like legally entering adulthood. I'm both excited and nervous for adulthood for the plethora of other new responsibilities that come with it.  

I'm one week into adulthood and the funny thing is I feel far from it, a testament to the adage that "age is just a number." I'm feeling that peculiar misalignment right now because, for example, I'm supposed to pay taxes as an adult. But at the same, I'm an "adult" who still can't drive (or even has a permit for that matter). I'm also an adult who still lives with my parents as a "student." And I'm an "adult" who hasn't earned any assets of my own. I seem to be taking on multiple identities at once; I'm legally something I don't feel. 

That train of questioning led me to think, what's up with age? Do experiences define age? Does having done a certain "bucket list" of items define adulthood? Sometimes I come across super mature students who are younger than me who speak, think, and act nothing like their age. I can't help but wonder why. Perhaps they've simply lived through more dynamic or nonlinear experiences. For example, some of my older friends say that a major breakup in a relationship can "add years and wisdom." Or, experiencing the loss of a loved one engenders wisdom and age too.

Regardless of what the law says, I still feel like a kid at heart because I know I haven't experienced enough. I thirst to know what holds beyond high school, both socially, career-wise, and academically. I feel I have a lot of exploring – of both myself and the world – to do and until I acquire knowledge on that front, I don't think I'll ever "feel" like an adult. To me, it's almost the accumulation of experiences that define age. And some people get there faster than others and that's okay. Nonetheless, I cannot wait for what's in store in the upcoming years of adulthood.