After we graduate college, some of us may bypass the period of time where we move back home with our parents and relish in not paying rent and having home cooked meals and just go straight into the real world. My friends and I like to joke about how none of us are actually real people because we all still rely on our parents for many, many things. We’re all kind of in that limbo stage or the words of Ms. Spears, “Not a girl, not yet a woman.” But this notion does not stop me from dreaming of days when I live in Downtown Chicago in my very own amazing apartment with grown-up stuff everywhere such as candles and plants.

When people come over for dinner parties (yup, I will host dinner parties), they will walk in and gasp, “Katie! Your apartment is so…adult!” I will smile humbly and thank them not leading on to the meticulous and thought out structure of my adult oasis. This is the dream, people.

While this is on my mind, I decided to compile a list of things that every aspiring adult needs in their new apartment! It’s time to ditch the futon, guys…

initiating the gallery...

Katie is finishing up her undergrad at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. She enjoys wasting hours on Facebook and tweeting things no one cares about. When asked the question, “Do you do marathons?” She promptly responds, “Of course! Which show?” Follow her @KatieGarrity!

I cleaned out my refrigerator. I even used Windex.

This is what I would like to call a “grown-up moment.” Times like these (where I clean out moldy chicken salad from my refrigerator door) are small adult moments. And trust me, I have big ones too. Why do I want to share them with you? Well, when I was in college – where washing a single dish, “tweaking” my resume between naps and considering the gym were all labeled hard work – I thought I would never grow up to feel big adult moments. But I already have! And so many of them. So, let’s get serious. I’m going to show you my top five:

1. Getting my first real job

It really can happen people. You will have a job, someday. I’ll be honest – when I was offered my job, I danced in an office with my boss with glee, got in my car and started crying. Crying tears of…joy. And for the record, tears of joy aren’t salty – they taste like cotton candy. And I swear the clouds were pink that day. I remember feeling so complete and accomplished, I could have stuck a rock up my ass and turned it into a diamond. I was that good. All of my worries about making everyone proud diminished.  Because I was making myself proud.

2. Seeing my hard work pull through, and getting credit for it

The next step after getting the job, is turning it into a great experience for everyone involved. I wanted to work my little tushy off every moment I was spinning around in that office chair. I wanted to prove to everyone that believed in me that I was worth what they saw. One of my colleagues recently told me she keeps a ‘warm fuzzies’ folder in her e-mail where she stashes all of her e-mails that make her happy and prove her success at the job. Now, I have a warm fuzzies folder of my own – to slip all of those small bursts of credit whenever I work hard.

3. Cooking my first recipe from scratch

Yep, I did it folks. The other day, I went to the grocery store and bought weird ass ingredients for a Strawberry Shortcake cookie recipe and cooked a batch from scratch. That, to me, is a huge burst head-first into adulthood. That sudden craving to stand and stir a weird mixture in a bowl and bake it is not a weird quirky craving. I cook for pleasure and stress-relief all the time now. I smell dinner and adulthood.

4. Giving advice to undergrads

I don’t want this one to sound pompous because I definitely do NOT have a large flock of college kids running towards me dying for job advice. But once or twice, I’ve had an acquaintance of mine ask me for advice and that alone makes me feel all grown up inside.

5. Paying my first loan

Aw, there it is. The first check. The first check that you write out slowly and painfully – while you constantly think how it could buy you a pair of Britney Spears tickets on Groupon or five pairs of Jessica Simpson pumps. You’re writing a check for a loan you used to learn occasionally in between long cat naps in college. But it’s fine. When I sign my name for my loan checks now, I make it look extra professional and stylish. Because I am a lovely little adult. And the reason I can pay it, is the reason I went to school for anyway.

It was a given that I would be around New York City because that is the place to go for my future career. Not to mention the fact that I absolutely love the place and had the time of my life interning over the course of two different summers. Lucky for me, a good amount of people from my school also head down there to start “real” lives.

My experience was similar to a new trend that has really started with our generation. That new fad being putting priority on WHERE you will be living, instead of WHAT you will be doing. Recent grads tend to decide what city they want to live in, and then the job comes secondary.

The job tends to be something figured out once you have moved to the chosen location, as was my experience, which made for many stressful unemployed days filled with cupcakes and wondering just how I was going to get by. Eventually things worked out and I can officially say I am employed in my chosen field and have my own apartment.

But, this ballsiness (is that even a word?) is something that our parents are not used to. Long gone are the days of sending out resumes to every viable city or town in America and seeing where you get a bite. We refuse to live in a horrible town just to have a job, which I think is a great philosophy.

The New York Times had a recent article commenting on this trend of placing quality of life above purely being employed;

“Sixty-five percent of 1,000 respondents aged 24 to 35 who were asked by the Segmentation Company, a division of the marketing consultant Yankelovich, said they preferred to look for a job in the place that I would like to live, rather than look for the best job I can find, the place where it is located is secondary.”

I personally think this is a great thing because now cities are trying to become more attractive to young adults and college graduates. “Urban leaders are increasingly courting young workers, because as baby boomers retire, Gen Y will have to fill the gap. Across the country, cities are scrambling to become the place that recent grads want to be.”

My hope is that what will eventually happen, if this keeps up, is cities will continue to improve and graduates will literally have their pick of amazing places to live. Instead of us fighting to get a place anywhere we can, they will be courting us. A role reversal of sorts, and I think it’s fabulous.

So, current college students, you can start doing your research now into what places or cities seem attractive to you. By the time you graduate, it just may be the new hot spot.

One problem that I would rather not encounter is seeking into depression, or what some may call the quarterlife crisis. And after doing extensive research on this topic for a previous blog called My Impending Quarterlife Crisis, I am realizing that it’s only a matter of time until I sink fully into the blues.

Therefore, I am attempting to be proactive and launching a pre-emptive strike on becoming depressed. Who’s with me?

My first tactic: reincorporate exracurriculars into my adult life. No, I don’t think that “joining a club” is the key to social issues such as obesity and body image as Leah rightfully points out. But, I was the QUEEN of being busy and involved in everything throughout high school and college. Why should the rest of my life be any different? Because of my activities, I met so many interesting people, learned all kinds of new things, and kept myself from boredom.

Here are some of the options that I am exploring now that I am no longer on a college campus:

1. Intramural Sports: Big cities tend to have adult pick-up leagues. For example, in NYC, Chelsea Piers offers all kinds of options for those no longer eligible for little league to get in on some sports action. And plus, sports leagues are a great way to meet some eligible bachelors…wink wink.

2. Childhood hobbies: Okay, let me explain, I’m not suggesting you start playing with Barbies or Legos again. But, when I was younger I used to make jewelry. Given, I don’t think there is as much of a market for friendship bracelets as there was when I was ten. Regardless, I’m just saying that there are a number of creative hobbies that can be transferred into adulthood. I stopped by a bead and jewelry store the other day while strolling through the Fashion District and realized I still had those creative juices flowing for elegant or funky jewelry pieces. Why not spend some time seeing what I can create? Also, I’ve always been interested in learning to knit or create pottery. Look into local classes wherever you are to divulge your artistic side now that you have no paper or midterm exam deadlines weighting you down.

3. Book Clubs: I know, what are we, like 40? Seriously, I just found a book club in my area that reads a book related to the career I am hoping to get into…and then meets to discuss it…over BEER! Sounds like a pretty great deal to me. If there is not one available, then think of starting your own. I am sure there are at least a few recent grads near you that would love an excuse to get together and dish over booze.

4. Church/Spiritual Groups: Okay, I’m definitely not suggesting joining a crazy religious cult type thing, but I do think that it can be refreshing to keep our mental or spiritual sides healthy and in check during this crazy time. Get involved with a group in whatever religion or denomination you might believe in. I feel that it’s always a safe bet to at least meet some nice (hopefully) people. Totally not into the religion thing? Try some yoga or meditation classes at least where you are able to relax.

Those are just some of the options I am looking into. My feeling is that if I can have at least one or two of these activities/events in my weekly schedule, it will keep me busy and help avoid the quarterlife crisis boredom, as well as enable me to meet some new people along the way. Anyone have any other great suggestions?

I’m officially old. This month marks one year since I’ve graduated from college. I did it. I got through a whole year without begging my folks for money, I’ve been self-supportive (with the exception of a few loaners from mamadooks) AND, to top it all off, I’ve made it to the Big Apple all by my self, thank you very much.I don’t make a ton of money in my entry-level job, and now that I’m a working girl, my days of partying on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, are no more. Not only because I’m too tired at the end of the day, and, as previously stated, old, but because this city is freaking expensive.

But the weekends are another story. Yea baby. I go out. I go out good!

Last Friday night me and one of my girlfriends, a fellow Florida Stater, wanted to reminisce our college days, so we headed over to Brother Jimmy’s on the Upper East Side. It’s a super fun bar that really caters to the alumni of the A.C.C colleges, like UNC and Duke. There are a few locations scattered around the city, and if you ever go, you have to order the “Charlotte Tea Party” – a tasty mixture of all top shelf liquor in a huge jar for 25 bucks. I told you it was expensive here. But, very worth the splurge.

Anyway, we started talking to these two guys. Both cute, well-dressed, and clear of my Top 5 Male Fashion Blunders.

So this guy turned out to be a really sweet and seemingly normal lawyer/musician. We had a great conversation and even though I was a bit tipsy, I kept it cool. Meanwhile, his friend was hitting on my friend with the oh-so-romantic “How hot are YOU?” line, which, needless to say, didn’t get him anywhere. And neither did, “You’ll never believe me, but I work for the FBI. I really do.”

After about an hour of talking to my guy, I realized I had no idea what his name was. Absolutely none. Brad? Gary? Mitch? Who knows. I couldn’t just ask him after all that time, for fear of killing the tiny sparks between us. And then, the cell phones emerged. I put my name and number into his phone, and proceeded to hand him mine so he could do the same. Then I’d get his name! Genius! But, disaster struck:

“Oh, let me just call you so you have it.”

DAMMIT. Plan unsuccessful.

And so, it was time to say goodbye to Brother Jimmy’s, the college surroundings and my mystery man. He helped me into a cab and kissed me on the cheek. And I still have no clue what the hell his name is. Guess I’ll have to wait the “3 Day Rule” to find out.

It’s hard out here for an old, tired pimp.