Let’s be real, adulting is a scam and we’re all just pretending everything’s fine while trying to pay rent and avoid our parents. It feels like a rigged game from the start, doesn’t it?
The Glorious Illusion of “The Real World”
They tell you, “Oh, wait till you’re an adult! You can do whatever you want!” What they don’t tell you is that “whatever you want” usually means “whatever you can afford.” Which, let’s face it, is rarely much.
Our childhood dreams were filled with freedom and adventure. Now, adulting feels more like a never-ending quest for the cheapest instant noodles and the most forgiving electricity bill.
And the constant pressure! Pressure to get a good job, pressure to be married, pressure to have kids, pressure to buy property. It’s like a conveyor belt of expectations, and if you step off, everyone stares.
The Rent Struggle: A Pinoy Epic
Ah, rent. The ultimate buzzkill. You work your fingers to the bone, get that paycheck, and then poof! A huge chunk of it just vanishes into the landlord’s pocket.
It’s like a monthly ritual of sacrificing a portion of your soul just to keep a roof over your head. And if you’re sharing, well, then you’re also signing up for the daily negotiations over who uses what amount of hot water.
Then there’s the dream of owning your own place. We see it in movies, we hear about rich tita’s who can just buy a condo. But for most of us? It feels like trying to climb Mount Everest in flip-flops.
The only “owning” we’re really doing is owning a mountain of bills. And maybe a slightly used rice cooker that sounds like a dying robot.
The Parent Patrol: A Love-Hate Relationship
And then there are our parents. Bless their hearts. They just want the best for us, which usually means them telling us how to live our lives, even after we’ve moved out and are paying our own electricity.
It’s that constant “Kumain ka na ba?” text, followed by a 10-minute diss of our life choices you didn’t even know you were making. Or the unsolicited dating advice that seems straight out of a telenovela.
You try to explain your situation, your struggles, your very Pinoy way of surviving. But sometimes, it feels like they’re speaking a different language. It’s the language of “bakit ka pa nag-aaral kung di ka naman magdodoktor?” amplified.
They love us, of course. But their love often comes with a side order of judgment and a healthy dose of “Nung panahon namin…” which takes us back to square one.
The “Career” Carousel
We’re told that a career is everything. It’s what defines us. But in the Philippines, our careers often feel like a merry-go-round that never stops spinning, especially if you’re not in a “prestigious” field.
One minute you’re an intern dreaming of changing the world, the next you’re drowning in paperwork for a company you can barely pronounce the name of.
And the “networking”? It’s basically just smiling awkwardly at people twice your age while trying to figure out if they secretly judge your outfit. It’s a game of forced pleasantries and strategically dropped buzzwords.
The salary, if we’re being brutally honest, often doesn’t match the effort. You see your friends abroad posting about their avocado toast brunches, and you’re just here contemplating if ramen counts as a balanced meal.
The Social Media Mirage
Don’t even get me started on social media. It’s the ultimate highlight reel of everyone else’s seemingly perfect adult lives.
Everyone’s traveling, everyone’s getting promoted, everyone’s engaged. Meanwhile, you’re stuck scrolling through your feed while eating instant pancit canton for the third time this week.
It’s a constant comparison game that we’re doomed to lose. You see the filtered photos, the perfectly curated captions, and you can’t help but wonder if everyone else got a secret manual to this whole adulting thing.
The truth is, behind those perfect smiles are probably just as many rent bills and parental nagging. It’s just that no one’s posting about that.
The Pinoy “Bahala Na” Mentality (and Why It’s Our Only Hope)
So, what do we do? We sigh. We complain. And then, because we’re Filipino, we probably say “Bahala na.”
It’s our national mantra, our coping mechanism. “Bahala na!” means “Come what may!” or “God will provide!” It’s the ultimate shrug of acceptance in the face of overwhelming absurdity.
When the rent is due and the paycheck hasn’t cleared, “Bahala na!” you somehow pull through. When your parents are giving you the third degree about your love life, “Bahala na!” you nod and smile.
It’s not that we’re irresponsible. It’s just that sometimes, the only way to survive the ridiculousness of adulting is to surrender to the chaos and trust that something, somewhere, will work out. Probably late, and probably not how you expected.
The “Adulting” Responsibilities We Actually Care About
Forget the career ladders and the perfect homes. The adulting responsibilities that actually feel real are much simpler, and much more mundane.
Like remembering to buy dish soap before all the plates are covered in week-old sinigang residue. Or figuring out how to assemble that flat-pack furniture without losing a screwdriver and your sanity.
It’s the quiet triumph of successfully doing your own laundry without shrinking your favorite shirt into a doll’s outfit. Or the sheer relief of finding a discount voucher for your favorite coffee shop.
These are the small victories. These are the things that make us feel like we’re actually adulting, even if we’re still occasionally asking our mom how to cook rice.
The Constant Need for Sleep and Snacks
One of the biggest revelations of adulting is that you are constantly tired. We’re talking “running on fumes and sheer willpower” tired.
And the solution to this impending doom? Caffeine. And food. Lots of food.
This is why the Pinoy love for merienda and late-night snacks is not a phase, it’s a survival strategy. Whoever invented curfew for adults should be publicly shamed.
Our bank accounts weep, but our stomachs are temporarily happy. It’s a vicious, delicious cycle.
The Existential Dread of “What Now?”
Beyond the rent and the parents, there’s that deeper, more unsettling question: “What now?” We’ve achieved some semblance of independence, but then what?
Is this it? Is this the peak of human existence: managing bills, avoiding unsolicited advice, and wondering if we’re doing enough?
It’s a feeling that creeps in during quiet moments, usually late at night, when you’ve finished all your chores and social media scrolling. The big, scary void of “What am I even doing?”
And the answer is often just “I don’t know,” followed by more “Bahala na.”
Frequently Asked Questions about this Adulting Shenanigans
Is adulting really this hard everywhere, or just in the Philippines?
It’s hard everywhere, but we have our own special Pinoy flavor of hard. Think of it as adulting with extra family obligations and a love for karaoke.
How do I stop feeling like a failure when I can’t afford everything?
You’re not a failure. Most people are just trying to make ends meet. Focus on your small wins, like paying your bills on time or resisting that impulse buy. And remember, ramen is a valid food group.
My parents keep comparing me to other people. What should I do?
This is a classic Pinoy parenting move. You can try to have a calm conversation, or you can just nod, smile, and occasionally roll your eyes when they’re not looking. Survival chic.
Is there an actual secret to adulting that I’m missing?
If there is, please share! We’re all in the dark here, probably tripping over our own responsibilities.
Join the Club of Pretenders
So, you’re not alone. We’re all in this together, navigating the choppy waters of “adulting” with a mix of sarcasm, resilience, and a whole lot of coffee.
We’re struggling, we’re succeeding in tiny ways, and we’re definitely pretending. But hey, at least we’re pretending together.
Because let’s be honest, if we all admitted that adulting is a scam and we’re just making it up as we go along, maybe it wouldn’t feel so isolating. Maybe then we could all just collectively agree to order pizza and call it a day, guilt-free.
