The Transition From College Girl to Mom

As local young people get ready to leave for college, I personally near the anniversary of my move to area as a young post-college girl. And as I give rides to these soon-to-enter college kids in my minivan and watch as they set off for adulthood, I cannot help but reflecting on how much my life and priorities have changed in the last decade.

Age 23: Meetings & conference calls
Age 36: Playdates & school committee meetings

Age 23: Thongs and Wonderbras
Age 36: Spanx and nursing bras

Age 23: Taxis, Metro
Age 36: Mini-van

Age 23: Friends and Felicity watched religiously at air time with roommates
Age 36: Man vs. Wild and Deadliest Catch watched whenever via DVR with husband

Age 23: Babysitting the boss's children on weekends for extra cash
Age 36: Paying weekend babysitters more than I made hourly at first post-college job

Age 23: Girlfriends and I analyze pseudo-boyfriends and hookups
Age 36: Girlfriends and I analyze husbands and fiances

Age 23: "Breast exams" performed on Saturday nights with Dave Matthews Band playing in background
Age 36: Annual mammograms

Age 23: Hole, Smashing Pumpkins CDs in stereo
Age 36: The Lauri Berkner Band and Rocknoceros on iPod

Age 23: Gwen singing in No Doubt about being dumped by Tony   
Age 36: Gwen singing solo about babies in her tummy

Age 23: Sharing a bathroom with four other women
Age 36: Sharing a bathroom with one man, three children and 1,000 brightly-colored bath toys

Age 23: Happy hour twice a week at hottest spots in town
Age 36: Moms night out twice a year at chain restaurant or jewelry/purse/cooking tool party

Age 23: Vacation getaway - beach & drinkfest
Age 36: Vacation getaway - beach & visits to see the grandparents

Age 23: High heels for every event besides exercise
Age 36: Tennis shoes or ballet flats for anything before 8pm

Age 23: Used men's Levis bought at thrift store for $15
Age 36: Strategically cut women's jeans that cost more than a small car

Age 23: Only food in apartment is protein powder, vodka & peanut butter
Age 36: Fridge and pantry stocked with entire inventory of Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and weekly Peapod deliveries

Age 23: Parties with kegs
Age 36: Parties with moonbounces

Age 23: Ducking behind posts in bars to avoid old flames
Age 36: Dodging around grocery aisles to avoid "Debbie Downer" mothers

Age 23: Read What Men Want and The Rules with equal parts scorn and interest
Age 36: Hear all the WMW guys are married daddies and The Rules women are divorced

Age 23: The Diary of Bridget Jones
Age 36: Diary of a Wombat

Age 23: Horrible vice - Malboro Lights
Age 36: Horrible vice - letting the kids watch TV

Age 23: I use pay phones to call cabs and boys
Age 36: I am on my 100th mobile phone & 200th charger

Age 23: I use e-mail to send jokes to friends I see every day
Age 36: I use Facebook, text message, e-mail and Skype instant messenger to communicate with all family and friends, perform everyday functions

Age 23: My office finally ditches MS-DOS and installs Windows
Age 36: I use sophisticated Wordpress blogging software to publish a website from home

Age 23: Love = a care package from mom, a free beer from a boy, purrs from my cat
Age 36: Love = a life shared with my husband and kids


Jessica can be found firmly rooted in 2011 at A Parent in Silver Spring