8 things that definitely become cooler as you get older

It is human nature to indulge in feelings of longing for your youth.

It was a time when things were simpler; when you didn't have to worry about creche fees or mortgage repayments and when your thighs didn't meet in the middle. And sometimes, it can be rather daunting when it hits home that you now are – at least on paper – a fully functional grown-up. The thing is, in case you forget sometimes, there are countless positives to growing up. No, really, hear us out: Adulthood is amazing, and if you need further proof, here are eight things that most definitively have gotten way cooler now that I am older:   1. Dinner Parties There was a time when going out was absolutely preferable to staying in. And dinner parties? Yawn. But nowadays, the thought of being invited to someone's house for a lovely dinner (or getting to show off my own kitchen skills if I am the hostess) are a lot more appealing, no? I mean, just think about it: Lovely conversations that can take place without having to roar at each other over the loud music. There is always wine, yet no queuing for the bar. Oh, and if you need the bathroom, you don't have to wait in line either.   2. Sleep Remember how you as a child and probably even as a young adult used to shun sleep in favor of staying up late – for all sorts of reasons. Nowadays, who doesn't love getting into their beds?!   3. Grocery shopping Remember back in college, when grocery shopping was almost as dullsville as writing that essay, or hauling your laundry to the dry-cleaners? Oh, and the dreaded potential of “insufficient funds” at check-out was enough to give anyone major anxiety issues, no? Fast forward a few years, and now I think grocery shopping (especially when I can do it on my own, with no kids in tow) is a totally enjoyable task. Seriously. I take my jolly good time roaming the aisles, checking the avocados, smelling the fresh bread and generally just soaking up the combination of me-time, meal planning and gourmet cheese.   4. Gardening Does the prospect of hitting your local garden center on a Saturday fill you with joy? Congrats! You are a fully fledged adult!   5. Weekend morning workouts See the point above grocery shopping and getting in some much-needed me-time. Oh, and the bonus being all the energy you get from it too.   6. Work Most of us have had some pretty brutal part-time jobs and starting out positions in our careers. And to many, work back in the day wasn’t something we enjoyed per say, but something that was necessary to fund all shopping and traveling we wanted to do. Now, if you're lucky enough have the luxury of doing something you love – work has actually gone and become (gasp) enjoyable.   7. Your parents Remember the days when your parents mostly just annoyed and embarrassed you? Now, having done a bit of growing up ourselves, let's just say that most of us love and appreciate our parents more than ever.   8. Decorating There was a time when the thought of spending the same amount of money on a dining chair as I once did on a weekend away would have appalled me. And yet nowadays, Pinterest has become my porn and, seriously, few things give me the same thrill as buying cool interior bits for my home.