From child to adult -- experiences?

So...what was your experience changing from a kid to a young adult to an adult?

I want to know any story about anything at all. From little things that you noticed changing (the way people talked to you for instance) to big things (renting an apartment and supporting yourself). I ask because I am sixteen, relationships are changing, my life has been very unhappily secretive and I want to have more perspective.

Oh and I almost never post on here but you people are awesome so I would love to hear anything and everything.

This is a really broad question, but I used to be really super secretive about everything as a teenager too. There were a lot of things like I felt I couldnt tell anybody - things that in retrospect are totally no big deal. If I could go back in time to talk to my 16 year old self, I would tell her to find a cool, trustworthy adult to discuss things with. Do you have an aunt or uncle, or older family friend?

Second, people who are secretive sometimes hide things out of a sense of shame. Try to gague whether your feelings of shame (if you have them) come from you or from whatever values system you were raised with...because you are allowed to dump value systems that make you feel bad/shameful about yourself!

The post-highschool years are usually a time of huge personal change because getting out of your parent's house will allow you to individuate. I dont know if you plan on attending college but I highly reccommend getting a plan together for leaving your family home as a way to become who you want to be. Even if your family is awesome.

Thanks for the response. It is broad but I didn't want people to feel out of place if they wanted to post something. I am in college right now and enjoying the heck out of it. The keeping secrets thing is basically family tradition. I don't enjoy it, I like to feel happy for people and share my accomplishments so people can be happy for me, but I am working out what I am going to do about the family drama now.

I suppose I'm considered a young adult (I'm 20), but I still feel like a kid. I guess I've become more of a pessimist since high school. That's not a good thing, but it's reality. Life is amazing and wonderful, but bad things do happen. I feel like I'm still in the confused stage - trying to identify who I am, what I believe, my views on religion and life in general. I guess I won't consider myself an adult until I have a strong understanding of me, if that makes sense. We'll see how long that takes :-/

something that really shocked me was my eye sight, I got glasses last year and when I first put them on it brought be back to a time when I was 5-6, it s was so nostalgic and weird,

other things are I am much harder to please, when I was 5 winning a simple popper would of pleased me , now I demand internet, movies, and cars to keep me satisfied,

I feel so old, I see all the kids in my classes playing around and acting immature, and I want to join them but I cant,

My life is almost unrecognizable now than it was when I was 16. I had a hard time around that age, and I wish I knew then what I know now. I don't want to say that the events that seem so important to you now are insignificant, but most people's priorities and attitudes alter greatly around the age of 20. You're going through a transition in life now and it's hard. Relationships do change, and those that you think will be around forever mostly likely will be gone in a couple of years.

The big lesson that I've learned in my short 26 years on this earth is: Don't sweat the small stuff. And most things are small stuff. Think of every obstacle in life as a way to make yourself stronger and better. Life is what you make it and you can only blame yourself on the outcome of it. If you're sad, it's your fault. If your inopportuned, it's your fault. If you're happy, it's your fault. If your unsuccessful, it's your fault........

I grew up in a household where the liquor was always flowing and the food was always fried [and available].  I spent a great deal of my childhood taking group fitness classes trying to 'erase' the dinner I just had at my home. I was CONSUMED with guilt over food and always knew my family ate HORRIBLY but was never strong enough to confront my parents. Going away to college, of course, on my parents expense, was the best thing in the world for me. It not only shaped who I am today, my life's work - my passion - but it gave me the tools and knowlege to help my parents live healthier lives. I can now proudly say that after all the years they dedicated to me, and raising me...I can feel confident I have added on years to their lives...lives spent having fun not going to the doctors!!! Age is only a number..it's what you do during those numbers that gives you that FINAL number!