The rain comes down, but there's nothing much I can do

It's raining outside and I'm sitting in Jez's apartment because I don't feel like going home yet. People might think I'm crazy for sitting in an empty apartment all by myself (plus this cat who won't stop meowing and kissing me). Lately I just feel like being by myself, perhaps it's because things have been so busy for the longest time that I need this 'down time'. Plans for Montreal are coming underway and I still can't believe I have to go back to school in about 2 weeks. I guess the summer can't last forever.

Today I ran into an old friend of mine on my lunch. He was all dressed up in a suit and tie and it turned out he worked at a bank across from my building. It was weird seeing him dressed up because I've only really seen him in casual clothes. We went to highschool together (where the only time we ever really got dressed up was for presentations or the prom). He told me that another highschool friend of ours was working in the Executive building across from mine and I know another one of my childhood friends is working at the bank across the street (basically we're on all four corners of an intersection. Cool!). At that point, it dawned on me. We're no longer kids and above all, most of us are no longer students. Most of my friends are now either just starting to work or preparing to graduate from post-secondary. It feels so weird because I never thought we'd get there. After highschool, it only seemed that post-secondary would last forever and we didn't really think beyond that (except superficially). And now, some of us, are "young professionals". *shudders. Oohh, I have a love-hate relationship with that label.

We're grown, we got our own lives, we've got new responsibilities. I'm even sitting in someone's own apartment! Where the hell did the time go? Remember the days of just chilling at someone's house afterschool and not having to worry about grocery shopping or refinancing? We never had to worry about finances and security and now BAM! It's all happening so fast.

Today a young couple, who couldn't be more than 5 years older than me, came in to see us because they were about to purchase a condominium. It's such a cliche that you see young people purchasing condominiums *at this age* and I just realized now that I am in that age bracket. Mortgages, down payments, taxes... all so foreign to us! They should've taught us this in school to prepare us for "Life".

It has also come to my attention that I can't really do anything about all this change. It's something I just have to roll with and be prepared for, I suppose. So far in my 'preparation', I've decided my "making it" age is 26. That is, the age I intend on being both financially and emotionally secure and comfortable. Sound too ambitious? Perhaps it is because it is essentially 3.5 years from now, but I know a couple of people who are independent and comfortable at that age, and that to me is a goal to strive for.

It's still raining outside, but I think it's time to bear it and go home.