Beginnings are Hard.

   Starting things is always something I've struggled with. Beginnings are just hard. You’re making an investment of your time, and maybe some other stuff too, but you might not really know what you’re getting into even if you think you do. That makes beginnings kind of scary, and that’s probably at least part of the reason people can get apprehensive about beginning a new relationship, or a new degree, or career. But they're also rewarding. Every worthwhile thing has to start, right?

   That’s kind of dramatic for starting a blog, though. Pfft. A blog can’t be as intimidating as picking what you’ll do for money for the rest of your life, right? I don’t know, I just didn’t want to kick off my first post with: “Hi. My name is Wes. I’m twenty-five, married, and an impending holder of a bachelor’s degree in human kinetics.... My toothbrush is, uh, blue... I think. Oh, and I live in an RV."

   But speaking of beginnings, adulthood is full of 'em. Ask any adult. They'll probably think it's a strange question, but if they take the time to think about it and answer you, they'll agree. You begin living away from your parents; you begin your education or professional training (maybe more than once); you'll likely begin a relationship with someone special (maybe more than once); you'll begin a career (maybe more than once). The list goes on. And on. And on. And on... It goes on for a long time.

   My point is, it's overwhelming. Anyone that tells you they were totally prepared for adulthood is lying and they're actually shriveling up inside from stress. Or they just haven't stumbled into the thing they weren't prepared for yet. Or their parents "prepared" for them (I wouldn't envy that person). I mean, I guess it's possible that there's someone, somewhere, who was actually prepared for adulthood. I imagine finding a person like that akin to finding a unicorn flying in a jet plane.

   When my sister and I decided to start this blog, I think our main idea was to make it "educational" for people who are trying to learn more about what being a grown-butt adult is all about and the skills that you might need to be successful. That we would make a Khan Academy, but for adulting instead of math and science and stuff... and with blog posts instead of videos.

   But here's the problem: I don't know what I'm doing! I've been an "adult" for six years and I only feel like I know a little more than I did when I first moved out. And I suck at most of the things that I do know. You don't want to learn how to adult from me! I doubt anyone is really qualified to teach that, unless maybe they're a professional and that's literally all they do for a living. I mean, I could spend time to learn things on the internet and then relay what I've learned here, but any of you can do that (right?). Plus, information that's applicable to me probably won't be applicable to everyone reading this, be it because of differences in where we are, or who we are or what we believe in. In beginning this blog, I had to think hard about what kind of content I'd put up that would be relevant to an audience of people trying to figure out this thing we call adulting.

   I think that one thing that helped me most in becoming an adult was hearing stories from other people's adulting journeys; their opinions of what works best, their plans, and their experiences. I learned from those stories some things to try, and some things to definitely NOT try, and some things to watch out for and avoid, or prioritize above all else. Those things are the kind of stuff that you just can't find in a how-to guide on the internet. So that's what (at least my posts) are going to be like, and hopefully they'll be informative in the sense that you'll be able to learn from my mistakes. Maybe my successes, too, but let's be honest; mistakes are more interesting (and I've made a lot more mistakes than I've had successes, so there's more of those to tell).

   This isn't to say that I'm not going to do any research or fact-checking. There's too much false information out there without me being lazy. Michelle and I have also talked about having guest writers that will (hopefully) be experts in a given topic, like budgeting, or maybe buying a house. We'll figure it out as we go.

   So welcome to this little adventure of ours, and thanks for being a part of it. Between me and Michelle, and the very different experiences (but also some similar) experiences we've had so far in our time as adults, it's bound to be a fun time. There's lots of ground to cover, and as life goes on, there will be no shortage of stories to tell. And hopefully it will be at least a little helpful for someone.