6 Months Ago

I've made a bunch of life-changing decisions recently that anyone would consider "big," and I've also adapted to a new lifestyle which includes 40-hour work weeks, happy hours and no school work. As I was ironing my clothes this morning for work, I got to thinking about all the things that have changed that aren't so life-changing but are more or less a change in how I do everyday activities. Whether these are necessary side-effects of growing-up or conscious changes towards adjusting to my new life, they were noticeable enough to keep track of.

These are the most notable ones in comparison to where I was in regards to these topics 6 months ago...

1. Ironing my Clothes

I don't find it ironic at all that the idea for this post came during ironing. Because six months ago...I didn't iron anything...ever. I didn't own an iron and can't remember the last time anything I owned was perfectly pressed. I didn't even iron my shirt for my Lowe's interview because, well, I didn't feel like it. (I don't even really buy clothes that you can't "machine wash with like colors" because hand washing and dry cleaning are way too much work.) I'm positive that my grandmother is literally gasping out loud at this revelation and my mother would have my head if she were around to see this happen. 

Regardless, I bought a bottom-shelf iron at Target and a tiny little ironing board a couple of weeks ago and have been ironing my work clothes. Because of logical reasoning I didn't have 6 months ago, I realized it's not professional to walk into a corporate office with wrinkles in your pants.

2. Work Clothes

This seemed like the next logical progression. And one I'm not too happy about. I hate that on my shopping trips, I have to constantly ask myself if what I'm looking at is work appropriate. And for the same reason, I can't bring myself to buy anything that can't be translated into a work outfit. This may be just a sign of growing up or that my wardrobe is taking a turn for the worst, but I can't seem to justify "play clothes" when my "work clothes" need some spicing up.

3. Paint My Nails

I've always gotten pedicures in the summer but now I feel under dressed if my finger nails aren't painted too. I attribute this to two things. First and most important, it's fun! Color is fun and no one can see my toes at work anyways. And second, the JMU concessions Nazi's don't let us have anything on our nails. For the past 6 years, I would paint my nails only to remove it a few days later so my polish didn't end up in someone's food. Probably a good rule and all, but now that I'm not constantly handling people's food, I've brought out the polish collection.

4. Try New Foods

In the past 6 or so months, I have tried Sushi, blue cheese dressing, specialty pizzas and for the first time ever, ate a chicken wing that actually had BBQ sauce on it. My diet has been anything but complete, and anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I still eat like a 5-year-old. So, I've adopted the "try it once" method and am trying everything, well, once. The aforementioned foods have worked their way into my regular diet but there are some that still didn't make it: hummus, eggplants, and spaghetti with meat sauce. I thought maybe with this new mentality they might taste better, but they're still as awful as they were when I was 12. 

5.  Make Lists

Myers-Briggs told me I was a "P" person. I don't make lists as a way to stay organized. Never have. I usually just do things as they come up. But I have invested money in more sticky notes and note pads over the past month than I care to remember. I make lists for EVERYTHING. Grocery store? Yuhp. Things to do at work? You bet. Things I want to buy when I have money? Oh, yes! I even went so far as to put sticky note paper up around my apartment so I can keep track of everything I want to buy for each individual room. I think I've gone crazy a little on that one.

6. Think about the Future

The future stresses me out. I'm an "in the moment" kind of person and past or future thought of any kind makes me queasy. The fact that I even have a five year plan is quite a miracle, but only time will tell if I'll even be able to follow it. My immediate future consists of furniture, maybe a vacuum, a car and a trip to Disney. I still have no desire to own a house or be permanently attached to anything or any location. However, I still find myself thinking about the future a lot and I've realized I need to start planning a little farther ahead than what time I get to sleep until on Saturday.

This isn't a complete list. Just the things I've noticed more recently and keep trying to stop - or not stop. Depending on the day. These little miniscule habits were major enough for me to notice but small enough that they're not affecting the important stuff - like my addiction to Lunchables and Saturday morning cartoons. I guess it's okay to not grow-up completely :)