Last semester I wrote about how searching for an apartment made me feel like a real adult. Today, I can tell you I feel more like an adult that ever. Yesterday I walked Beacon St. with grocery bags on either shoulder after dropping $80 at Whole Foods. The day before, I vacuumed my entire apartment and used a duster. A DUSTER. I got excited the other day when I received the Xfinity and electricity bills. Who does that? I was just very excited that I was finally living what feels like real life. I paid a bill with my own money (on my kitten checks, but that’s besides the point) and felt legitimate.
Probably my favorite part about feeling like an adult is cooking dinner. I have been gathering recipes for months now and I can finally make everything I’ve been salivating over. I use finally lightly because I had many test-cooking sessions at home before I was on my own and still often text my mother “What temperature do I cook the fish at?” I’m not saying anything I’ve cooked so far has come out stellar, but at least we’re not ordering takeout every night.
My favorite meal I’ve made so far is tofu-veggie stir fry or pesto pasta with broccoli. Things I’ve learned so far while cooking for myself and my roommates: water takes a long time to boil, it’s hard to time everything out to be finished at the same time, the kitchen gets really hot, and something will always go wrong. I’ve under cooked rice, steamed soggy broccoli, and boiled a pot over; and it’s only week four!
My favorite part of the week is when my three roommates and myself all coordinate our schedules and eat dinner together. Nothing is better than sitting down with three of your favorite people to eat a meal you just cooked yourself. And, if I’m lucky, someone else will offer to do the dishes. 🙂
In the past three weeks I have learned a lot about myself and my roommates, as well as life on my own. My biggest take aways are: communication is key, clean your dishes right after you’re done using them, and the walk to West campus feels way shorter on the way home after a long day.
