Grown-ups

Since returning to Melbourne I've been a little bit bummed. I've discussed a lot of this already on this blog. About how much I really enjoy living in Israel and how I simply prefer my life there.

But it's not just the Israel thing that has got me.

I live with my parents.

That's right. I'm 22 years old - almost 23 - and I'm still at home. Now I know that's pretty standard for Australian Uni students, be they Jew or Gentile. Indeed among Jews you can probably last a good few years of post-uni employment before you need to leave the womb and find your own place.

But not me.

Which is surprising since I didn't consider myself a particularly independent person. I didn't get my first job till the end of year 12 and I was never really into public transport as a kid. I was always happy to grab lifts from my folks.

But then I lived for a year overseas when I was 18 and now again for the past year. For the past year I came and went as I pleased. I was messy. I ate only food that I wanted and only when I was hungry. I paid my own electricity bills, water bills, internet bills, phone bills. I paid rent (mostly late) each month. I worked. I went to university. I looked after myself. I replaced light-bulbs and killed spiders.

I had/have a sense of pride in this. When you look after yourself you are a more competent, capable person. Indeed you are more of a person because you are living up the the standard of what a person should be: self-reliant.

It's not that at home I'm really that looked after. I still do the grocery shopping, the cooking, I do laundry and I mainly keep my own hours. Furthermore my folks keep their distance. They've never had house rules or told me what to do or prevented me from having guests. But ultimately I'm still living with my parents. I live in the house of my childhood and when I return here I feel like I slip back into being a child. But unlike your average movie character I do not want to return to childhood. I enjoy being responsible for myself and I feel like it's a real blow to my independence to be living in my parents house again.

So what do I do? Well, I have less than 1.5 years left of my degree (all going well) - and the moment I start earning moolah I will move out.

No, but seriously. Get. Me. Out.