Don’t Let Adulthood Ruin Your Life

I have just come back from a trip to see my fiancé, (saying that never gets old) and I have never felt more at ease. Upon reaching the final week, which I decided to use the remaining time for some greatly needed reflection, I found myself doubting everything I thought I knew about life.

I tried to pin down the source of this incredible feeling. My initial thoughts were:

1. Being reunited with your partner will always add that extra love you have desperately needed.
2. Holidays are always great because it’s always great to get away from the mundane routine that working and living provide.
3. The sun is a massive motivator for us all.

I am not sure what it was, but all these conclusions were not satisfying the euphoric experience I was having, until I reached one. I was having fun.

Now, you will all stop at this point thinking “but I hope you would be having fun if you paid for a vacation”. And you are right. There is only one holiday I have been on that was a complete disaster, and it was the experience that got me into travelling solo. But this was very different.

Usually when I go back home to see my man, it is centered around us just being in each other’s company, sprinkled with some fun activities here and there. However, on this occasion we travelled across the island and pretty much said yes to every opportunity presented to us, even if we were utterly exhausted. I even had a last minute scramble on my final day, rushing to the airport to squeeze out every possible moment of fun before a late flight.

If you know me well, you know I am an extremely safe and consistent person. Although it has been a great part of getting me to where I am today, I lost some vital parts of my character which are essential to pushing me further in life. Growing up, one of my family nicknames was Peter Pan. For those who missed the original story, or the Disney adaptation, Peter is a fictional character who was once a normal child and ran away to Neverland in a bid to avoid growing old and dying. He encourages kids from the real world to join him on his quests to defeat his pirate nemesis and play with him forever. As a child I resonated with Peter, not because I wanted to live forever, but because I knew that childhood was the ultimate experience of fun.

Somewhere along the way, I forgot about Peter. I traded Neverland for a meticulously planned calendar. I swapped adventure for security and spontaneity for stability. This trip was different because for the first time in a long time, I let that inner child lead. I said yes not just to activities, but to a feeling. I agreed to being silly, to staying out late, and to embracing the glorious unknown.

Unfortunately, this happens to so many of us. We graduate, get jobs, pay bills, and slowly but surely, build a life that is very sensible and incredibly safe. Convincing ourselves that this is maturity. We believe that being a responsible adult means putting playfulness in a box and storing it in the attic.

But fun is not the opposite of responsibility. Joy is not the enemy of progress. That spark, that Peter Pan spirit, is not something to outgrow. It is the very thing that fuels our creativity, resilience, and passion. It is the vital part of our character that pushes us further.

So, my advice is this. Do not let adulthood ruin your life. Do not let its routines and expectations dull your shine. Say yes to that random coffee invitation. Take a different route home from work. Put on music and dance in your kitchen. Find your Neverland, even if it is just for a moment each day.

Because growing up is mandatory, but growing old, in spirit, is entirely optional.