21 Things You Were Excited About Doing As An Adult When You Were A Kid, But Now You're Like...This Is Garbage
When we're kids, we have dreams about what it's going to be like when we're finally grown-ups and can "do whatever we want."
However, once we actually reach adulthood, we find out that most things are not what they seem.
With that in mind, I asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the things they thought they'd be excited to do as adults, but are actually trash now that they have to do them.
1."I loved the idea of deciding what I'd eat every day. Now, I would stick needles in my nail-beds just to get someone to tell me exactly what to eat with no involvement from me whatsoever."
"I was always so excited to have whatever I wanted for dinner. Now, I'm like, 'Oh shit. I am in charge of this...every...night.'"
2."Driving! I never realized how much I would 'get' to do it."
"Driving. It’s such a right of passage to get your license as a kid. As an adult, traffic sucks, gas is expensive, and a lot of people are really bad drivers."
3."Getting mail. Used to think it was so cool as a kid, but now I throw 75% of it away without even opening it as it's just ads or banks wanting to sign me up for a credit card."
4."Not napping."
5."Getting my period. 😑"
"UGH, YES. It was sold as 'the magical beginning of womanhood' but it SUCKS. 😭"
"THIS. I could not wait to get my period and be like all my friends. Now I just want it to go away!"
6."I was excited to go to work and be an 'office babe.' Yeah, f*** that."
"Working. I used to play cashier as a kid, but now that I'm actually working in retail, it's miserable."
7."Pets! Parents were right, they are a lot of work. In this summer heat, I really wish my dog knew how to use the toilet. And even if I’m the teensiest bit hungover, my cat still demands breakfast."
8."Shaving."
—Anonymous
9."Teaching! I used to line up my stuffed animals at their 'desks' and play school for hours on end. Now, I'm an actual teacher, and I spend my days dealing with unruly behavior, entitlement, and toxic parents."
"The ideas I had of teaching a room full of excited kids who want to learn is not quite how things are in real life. There are good days, but most of the time, it's a struggle to simply get through the day."
—Anonymous
10."I couldn't wait to wear lingerie. I thought that's what women had to do to be attractive. Honestly fuck that. I hate bras with underwire, thongs, lace that digs into the wrong places, and random straps all over the place."
"Lingerie was 100% overhyped. It was a disingenuous fantasy marketed to tween/teen girls saying, 'This is what it means to be a woman.' The positive is that I learned I don't need those things to feel sexy; my partner thinks I'm hot as hell in my sports bra and cotton underwear. I learned sex isn't a performance."
—Anonymous
11."I was so excited to have my own house someday. But now I know, A WHOLE HOUSE IS A LOT TO CLEAN. 😭"
12."Buying stuff in a supermarket. I thought I’d be like a kid in a candy store, but instead I’m a middle-aged woman buying yogurt."
"I remember being at the store with my mom, and if we couldn’t get something, I would always think, 'One day I’ll have my own money, and I can buy it myself.' But I hate it. I hate having to buy things. I’m not even buying things I want, and I still look at my bank account every week and cry. Why is being alive so expensive? Are we even having fun??"
13."I always wanted to paint and hang wallpaper, but my mom would never let me. I was so excited to pick out colors, buy supplies, and get started."
"By the end of the first wall, bored despite a really good podcast and covered in paint, I ditched the idea of wallpapering altogether, and decided to hire a professional for the rest of the painting."
14."I thought I’d own a closet full of designer high heels, pairs in every color, bedazzled, satin, velvet, sandals, etc."
"I still have a thing for a gorgeous pair of heels, but I haven’t bought a pair in close to seven years. The price of a quality pair that won’t ruin your feet is just too much for adult me to justify on such a 'frivolous' purchase."
— Anonymous
15."Becoming a nurse. I grew up watching ER which featured badass nurses, and I always wanted to be one. Now in my late 30s, I wish I had picked a different path. My physical and mental health has been torn apart from years of anguishing work! Should have followed in my dad and grandpop’s footsteps and sold insurance."
—Anonymous
16."Christmas. As a kid, it was so exciting to open presents left by Santa, but as an adult, it is mostly stressful."
—Anonymous
17."Using the internet. When I was growing up, the web was in its infancy, and it was heralded as the greatest connector of mankind in the modern era."
"Turns out it's mostly porn, spam, people who take things at face value because some 'influencer' said it on Twitter, and a load of trolls who think that the anonymity of a screen, and constant shouting, makes them right."
18."Getting married."
"Don’t get me wrong, I still want to get married and have children, but I am so traumatized by my experiences with men (maybe I have been choosing the wrong ones) that I am not as keen on the whole marriage thing. I also feel that I thrive more when I am single."
19."Watching PG-13 or rated-R movies on my own. The funny thing is I actually don't go for those types of movies; I still prefer anime or animated movies. Maybe it's because they were such a comfort during my childhood that I still enjoy them as an adult."
20."Going out clubbing. Shit is expensive and exhausting. No one tells you how difficult it is to get home when you're drunk and barefoot in Manhattan at 2 a.m."
— Anonymous
21."Funny enough, paperwork. I was one of those brats who looked forward to doing paperwork, of all things. Luckily enough for pint-sized me, I’ve found no shortage of paperwork in adulthood."
