Remember when your parent/teacher told you never to tell a stranger you’re home alone? They said, “Tell the stranger on the phone that your parent or guardian in not available right now, but that you can take a message.” The other day, I got really scared that someone knew I was home alone, even though I’m a grown adult.

Do you ever feel that way?

I am 23, but I don’t really feel like an “adult” yet. BUT I really am an adult, I swear. I have a cardigan. I own things, like real things (e.g. a car, a laptop, a nice TV, a down comforter). I book my own flights, but in my mind, I’m 17.

I just don’t feel like an “adult,” even when I’m filing my 1040. Is it one of those things, like coffee or Leonard Cohen, that takes time to get into? Will I ever feel like I have arrived? Will I be a cool adult that kids “want to be” when they grow-up?