Adulting Fails (Part Two)

Hola and welcome to The Summit, my weekly newsletter where I share my unfiltered thoughts on navigating the peaks and valleys of adulthood. From health and relationships to productivity and purpose, consider this newsletter a collection of naive wisdom from a 20-something year old summiting the mountain of life.

Today: Adulting Fails (part two)

I had so much fun writing the first edition of Adulting Fails that I thought I would write a second! So here are four more tales of Adulting Fails (and what we can learn from them):

1. Losing your passport

This can be hard for some people. I don't know why, but some of my friends seem to have this problem. So, I wanted to share some DON'TS. Don’t carry your passport in the mesh side pocket of your backpack (Ellian). Don't leave your passport and bag on the floor at a restaurant (Fergburger in Queenstown – Joss). Don't leave your passport at the counter at Subway in the airport (Ellian).

Lesson: This one's pretty straightforward. Keep your passport safe and secure at all times - it’s not that hard.

2. Driving an unregistered car for 6 months.

When my sisters and I each started driving, our parents were kind enough to pay for our car rego for the first couple years. But by the time we reached 18 the responsibility came to us, rightfully so. Every six months we would get our letter in the mail, that rego is due, and we'd pay it. Well, that is except for one of my sisters who 'didn't see that letter'. Then another six months passes, and she gets another letter in the mail, FINE – driving an unregistered vehicle. She quickly realised what she had done and got on top of it. However, the camera that had picked up her car, was on a road that she passed three times that day. So, as you can guess, another two letters came in the mail – FINE, FINE. Now that is an epic fail. Jokes, it seemed like an epic fail, but she only had to pay it once!

The lesson here, learn to check your mail/email and stay on top of your recurring bills to avoid late penalties!

3. Smashing a Brand-New Phone Abroad: A Queenstown Luge Mishap

My mates and I had just finished conquering the slopes in New Zealand for a week and had one last day in Queenstown before heading home. Like most tourists, we decided to take on the famous Queenstown Luge. After a quick safety briefing (including the very important "don't be an idiot, empty your pockets" instruction), we were all strapped in, ready to race down the mountain. All was going great until one of my friends, let's call him Joss, decided to take a corner a little too hard. This resulted in his wallet flying out of his pocket (ironic, considering the only real instruction was to empty them!). Luckily, the boys behind him managed to avoid the obstacle and retrieve it unscathed. Joss, a little embarrassed but relieved, stuffed it back in his pocket and we lined up ready for round 2.

However, fate (or maybe just bad cornering skills) had other plans. On the SAME CORNER, Joss's brand-new iPhone decided to follow suit, launching itself under the wheels of the group hot on his tail. Needless to say, the phone didn't stand a chance. $1500 later, Joss learned a valuable lesson.

Lesson: Don't be a Joss. Listen to instructions and double-check your pockets before flying down a mountain on a luge!

4. Buying tickets from Facebook Marketplace

Sounds like a bad idea, doesn’t it? But let me give you some context. My girlfriend and I had booked a little getaway to Sydney to do some touristy sight- seeing. What we did not expect, was for the Matildas to make it to the World Cup Semi-Final that same weekend! The atmosphere was roaring. Everywhere you turned people were rocking the green and gold; and the game was to be played in Sydney. We had to go.

But of course, the tickets were sold out. My girlfriend reassured me that we would have a great time watching the game at a pub, or even the public viewing areas in the city but I was not satisfied. My stubborn nature knew there would be at least a few people who couldn’t make it. So, I kept a close eye on Facebook Marketplace and bingo, two hours before the game a lovely man put his two tickets up for sale. 

I was well aware that there would be plenty of scammers trying to sell fake tickets, but I had a really good feeling about this guy. He explained that his son had fallen ill and they were on their way to the hospital instead of the game – I felt terrible for him. He asked for my email and sent a test to make sure it was correct. We were ON. I booked an uber and we were on our way. I continued to message him about the best form of payment, sent him $150, then... nothing. Radio silence. No email. No tickets. I couldn't believe it. We were 10 minutes away from the stadium, in an $80 uber, with nothing but our Matlidas scarves. 

Like the optimist I am, I reassured my girlfriend that he was probably just dealing with his son and would get back to me ASAP. Then we waited outside the stadium for the first 20 minutes of the game before giving up 🙁. And the worst part about it, there were no big screens outside the stadium because they had discouraged people without tickets coming to the stadium.  So, we had to walk another 20 minutes before we found a bar with a TV, and all the other losers who probably got scammed. Then, just when we thought the night couldn't get any worse (aside from the loss to England), the train service stopped running (technical issues apparently) and we had to fight hundreds of other people trying to book an uber home. It was a long night to say the least. 

Lessons:  

• Maybe sometimes I need to balance my optimism with some realism. 

• Get better control of my FOMO.  

• DON'T BUY TICKETS OFF MARKETPLACE?! 

• Listen to my girlfriend more 🙄.

• Don't rely on things outside of my control.

These stories may be funny (looking back), but they serve as valuable reminders. Adulting is full of trials and tribulations, but through them, we learn, grow, and become more responsible and resourceful individuals. So, the next time you experience an adulting fail, remember – you're not alone! Embrace the experience, learn from it, and most importantly, laugh it off (eventually).

If anyone has any great adulting fails, please send them in, I would love to hear them! Maybe I can write a part three 😅 .

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