And then there was one

RIP Karl, Chimichanga, and the other goldfish that never received a name because it died after two days. 

I confess that I did not feel any particular emotion (other than inconvenience) at the deaths of my new pets, but their passing did heighten my awareness of my own youth.  Goldfish are infamously poor at surviving, but it it shouldn’t be that difficult to keep a few of them alive for at least a month.  The fact that 75 percent of mine didn’t last longer than a week was just one of several indicators I’ve noticed recently of my general lack of maturity.  I’ve never claimed to have “things all figured out”, but lately I am especially cognizant of the mountain of basic life skills I have yet to acquire. 

It took me a week to install Christmas lights in my apartment because I was trying to hammer the screw-in hangers into the ceiling without making an indent hole with a nail first.  I make fake phone calls to avoid awkward social situations.  I still haven’t perfected the art of water-efficient dishwashing.  I laugh when my roommates talk about their romantic escapades but (let’s be honest) I can hardly relate.  I put a plastic plate in the toaster oven.  When I’m by myself for too long I lose the capacity to read my own mood and I can’t tell if I’m lonely, bored, tired, or hungry.  I wander to the fridge and pass up leftover quinoa squash for crackers and chocolate. 

But other than dead fish and a burned plate, being young also has its perks when living abroad.  First of all, your roommates forgive you for your lousy cooking and strange eating habits because, after all, you’re just a kid.  What’s more, your waistline will forgive the late-night munchies too as long as you throw in a few days of exercise.  Got company at your house Friday night until 9am and a trip on Saturday?  No problem.  Fatigue from two days without sleep is cured by one night of rest followed by one dose of pancakes. 

I’m no Peter Pan, but I’m in no rush to move out of my temporary Neverland--even if I have to endure a few goldfish burials while I’m here.