In between the aches and pains, endless bills, long work hours and mounting responsibilities, there are a few perks to being an adult. Today we focus on the positives. As we all know, there are days when it is necessary to remind yourself of these advantages. If you don’t, you may end up in the fetal position, rocking repetitively and humming songs from Peter Pan. They are also great to lord over the younger generations, the whipper-snappers, when they are getting out of line.

I’ve listed my Top 10 List below, in no particular order, since it really depends on the day which is best.

1. Eating dessert first–or only. Like tonight, dairy was my only food group as I had Pinkberry frozen yogurt for dinner (half salted caramel and half original tart). De-lish!
2. Living alone. I LOVE living by myself, and if I ever have to give it up, it’ll be rough.
3. Getting a paycheck. Sure, it takes a lot of hard work to get it, but it’s nice to receive, even if it leaves you quickly.
4. Picking out your own things. Remember the school pictures when someone else dressed you?
5. Driving yourself. And this one comes from someone who hates to drive. It is really nice to go where you want, when you want. And I say this statement as a single girl, without kids and soccer practice. Plus, it makes ditching work much easier than ditching school…or so I hear.
6. Vacation days. It’s no summer or Christmas break, but at least you get paid for being gone.
7. Pick your friends. I have a birthday right after the start of the school year, so growing up, all the kids in my class had to be invited to my birthday party whether I wanted them there or not. Now, I invite who I want.
8. No curfew. This realization is good for us night owls. Even on the days I’m exhausted by 10 p.m, it’s good to know I could stay up if I wanted to.
9. More knowledge. I like to learn, so I like the fact that I know more than I used to.
10. Sleeping in. I’ve always been big on sleep. I have no understanding of too much sleep. Sure, I used to sleep in a lot when I lived at home, but at least now, I don’t receive any grief for it or “sleeping the day away” comments. Yeah, this past Saturday I slept half the day away–and it felt good.

What did I miss?