Dark Chocolate

So here's the deal - lately I've been feeling like I want to be more grown up. I don't know why but my care-free, livin' with the folks, buying whatever I want whenever I want it, stayin' up all night, only being accountable to myself - days are just not as appealing anymore. I've been calling this my quarter-life crisis, and maybe we should take the "buying whatever I want whenever I want it" part out of that equation because if we're being honest - that's always appealing, right? But it's true, lately I've been wanting to grow up. Here's the question though: How does one go about growing up? I've considered drastically changing my hair. Would that work? Or I thought for a brief moment about buying a condo. That only lasted 2 weeks until I figured out that a mortgage = no more cruises for a really long time. Boo!

That's all I've come up with so far, a haircut and moving out of my parents home. I haven't done either one of them yet, and I'm sure they will both help me in my cause but for some reason I don't think those two changes will automatically kick me up to grown up status. But I think I figured out what might . . .

Today, not more than 20 minutes ago, I went to the candy jar I keep in my office to get my daily post-lunch fix. When I got there I knew exactly what I wanted but I didn't see it right off the bat. I gave the jar a good tousle or two but to no prevail. The item I was searching for was no where to be found. The Milky Way Midnight. A pleasing combination of dark chocolate, golden caramel and vanilla nougat, a true delight for any and all taste buds. After not finding it in the jar I went straight for the bag in the bottom drawer. That's where I keep all of the extra candy that doesn't fit in the jar. I was saddened to find the bag free from all Milky Way Midnights, as well. So I went back to the jar to find my next goody of choice - the Kit Kat Dark Chocolate. But do you think I could find any in the jar? Nope! None in the bag either. What the crap, man! This lack of all things dark chocolate was really making me angry. That's when it dawned on me. I had made the switch, but when? Was it while I was attending the Snow College? No, no - I recall still loving milk chocolate during college. Was it during that initial year as a runner for first the law firm I worked for? Wrong again. I remember quite clearly giving the stink eye to a couple of attorneys who requested I buy dark chocolate candies for them. How could anyone prefer dark to milk? Pfff! Stupid attorneys.

See, I used to hate dark chocolate, I was a milk chocolate girl all the way. I wouldn't even go near a piece of dark chocolate when I was a kid. So what happened between the stink eye and my new found love of the darkness? Answer - I grew up. That must be it! - there is no other explanation for it. You see, only grown ups like dark chocolate. Or at least that is the myth that I have always believed and I'm not giving up on it today. Today that myth works for me. Maybe because I've been in search of that one element that will push me over the line I've been walking on for so long, the kid vs. grown up line. Or maybe because it's just the plain and simple truth. I don't know what the reason is, but what I do know is that all of a sudden I have a greater urge to get a haircut and move into my own place. I can't be eating dark chocolate with this mediocre haircut in my parents home. No way.

So there it is, I am officially a grown up. It's kind of like magic! Ta Da! :)

Now what? . . .