Sometimes life gives you lemons, and you make lemonade.

Sometimes, life gives you lemons, and you blurt out in a slight rage asking, “WHERE’S THE VODKA TO COMPLETE THIS LEMON DROP?”

I would be the latter in that scenario.

At 24, I figured I’d have the world figured out by now.  Well, not figured out, but at least have a semblance of a life map that I could follow.  A trajectory that was somewhat attainable in the foreseeable future.  A life plan, or goal that I’d want to achieve by now.

This is not to say that I am not ambitious.  I moved out of my house when I graduated college, I pay my own bills, and live by my own rules.  I’m almost an adult.

But there are still things that I struggle with day to day.  I navigate a pretty complex maze of social situations that I can’t firmly grasp, as well as trying to win the ongoing battle with my closet – finding something to wear without changing eighteen times in ten minutes. And then there is paying bills, but, everyone has problems with that, right? No?  Okay, I’ll tackle that next year.

I’m going to chronicle the myriad of skills or tasks that I have mastered at 24, as well as those with which I’m still struggling.  It’s for your enjoyment, entertainment, or personal reflection.  Though, by no means do I want you to hold yourself to my standard of living, because you’ll find out really quick, I like to cut corners.  And I cut them often.

At 24, I have…

Mastered: Following Directions

Give me a job to do, and I will excel.  Does that mean I’m not cursing you out under my breath or in my head? Absolutely not.  But at 24, I feel like I am pretty competent at taking initiative and following the directions that are given to me.  If my mom tells me to clean my room – done. I’d take my time though, and definitely listen to a little too much pop radio dancing and pretending I have the vocal chops to be a superstar.  Because what fun is cleaning if Britney Spears and Ke$ha can’t help you mop, sweep, and get the job done?

Not Mastered: Following Directions

Ah, the double edged sword of directions.  I’ve lived in Boston for a year now, and I can say with full confidence that I will never know where I am going.  I’ve taken public transportation up and down and side to side of this city, and will get lost EVERY TIME.  I’ve driven to my old apartment in Cambridge back to my new apartment in Back Bay, and I still get lost.  I cannot follow directions.  I use a GPS, I still get lost.

Also, who he hell reads those stupid booklets to put together furniture?  If it’s not already assembled, it is going to stay disassembled until someone comes over with enough patience to either do it for me, or watch me try to hammer and nail something that needs a screwdriver and screws to complete.  Building stuff is just not in my scope of talents.  I accept it.  I’m working on it (kind of).

…

I have to think about my resolutions for 2014 (yes, still working on that, I have three days, OKAY?), but I have to believe learning how to put together a bookshelf and figuring out how to drive in my own city is on my list of things to master… or maybe finding the lowest priced wine bottle in a given area is a more realistic way to go?

xoxo, Meg

Thanks to Brunch For Every Meal for the inspiration.