peter pan syndrome

Things that occasionally make me feel like I am not a "real" grown-up adult:

1. I live in a rental.  I do not own a home.  I do not have plans, nor am I saving for, a home of my own.
2. I'm not married.  I'm not partnered.  I am single.
3. I am not, nor do I intend to, have children.
4. I am a woman who lives with cats.
5. I can wear jeans to work.
6. Sometimes my apartment looks like college students trashed it.
7. My wardrobe is still a mess of decent clothing and stuff that matches nothing else in the closet.
8. At work, I am so often still the youngest person in the room.  And I've been in the field for 10 years.

Things that contradict my apparent temperamental tendency to fuck over the American Dream of picket fences and 2.5 kids.  Oh, and a dog:

1. I owned a house for three years.  I sold it.  I made enough money to move across the country and go to China.
2.  I'd rather be single than lonely in a relationship.
3.  I don't think being a parent is something to commit to lightly, and I've considered that decision carefully for more than 20 years.
4.  I like cats.  They give me more freedom than a dog would to go and have a social life and work.
5.  I love jeans.  I try to wear them nicely, well-paired.
6.  I hate cleaning sometimes.  When I hate it, I don't do it.  I've learned to be happy with that.
7.  I need a friend to shop with, someone to tell me what I'm missing.  Or actually, I probably need a professional to just buy me clothing.
8.  Actually, I have nothing to counter this one.

Apparently, despite repeatedly bucking society's pathway for A Good Life,  I still sometimes feel as though I am missing "the point" of adulthood (is there a point?  I missed that memo, too.). As though the definition of "adult" includes marriage, children, property ownership, and something about fences (you know, they make good neighbors, I hear). The feeling is brief, almost like vertigo from the space between what I have and like about my life, and what I think I should have to look like I've achieved adulthood to the world at large.

And yes, I'm totally aware that this is a problem of privilege, but knowing that I have choices and options that other people don't does not make my life much less confusing some days.