Turning 18 provided me with various aspects of being an adult while also introducing me to the responsibility that comes with growing up.

My first day of adulthood consisted of being able to stroll into a hookah lounge, flash my ID, and smoke. I sat at the bar and scratched my $10 winning lottery ticket while the barista made me a minty peach bowl of sheesh. Felt good to do all of this completely legally.

“I got my nose pierced for my eighteenth birthday, and it’s something I’ve wanted all my life. I can now express myself, ” senior Gabby Gonzales said.

As much as I loved turning 18, it wasn’t just rainbows and sunshine. “It’s this constant balance right now of stepping into the responsibilities of being an adult, getting a job, and paying for your utilities,” said Gonzales. “Yet, I still live under my parents roof and follow their rules. It’s gradually stepping into independence. I feel like it’s changed my outlook on life because in six months, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. It’s something to look forward to in the future rather than be greedy about now.”

I realized that now I have to be responsible for myself, with little to no help from my parents as soon as after high school life comes. I have to now focus more on my car payments, insurance, and phone bill. Granted, with a job before I was 18, some of these I was already paying for, but now my parents are expecting me to become more timely and on top of paying for these. This also means that I’m going to have become more accountable with my spending based upon my monthly income. But it opens up for more job opportunities.

“I think being 18 is a rite of passage. You’re an adult now, and you’re expected to act as such,” senior Holden Shipman said.

Even though growing up is fun, it comes with a lot of responsibilities. There are a lot of things I enjoy about being 18, but now I have to look at the work that comes with it.