This Adult Stuff

There's childhood, there's adulthood, and then there's that not-quite-either limbo that 23-year-olds such as myself inhabit. We linger in this purgatory of uncertainty and confusion for months, years, and then...

And then? We get out of it. Yet the how and the when are different for each person. I recently spent a weekend with my two best girlfriends, one of whom I haven't seen since our college graduation. Oh, how wonderful to see these friends! Friends in a true sense of the word (since I take friendship rather seriously.)

We got to talking about post-grad life. Ah, the bliss of being in college. The faux-independence of living under the umbrella of your campus. College-organized events (with free food,) classes that give us “real-world application,” and a pantry that never runs out (even though the dining hall can be quite atrocious.) You complete the requirements, b.s. some essays, and are handed perhaps the greatest piece of paper you ever held in your hands-your college diploma. The proof that YES, YOU HAVE ACHIEVED SOMETHING GREAT!

The novelty doesn't last too long for most. Welcome to the real “real world.” What are these envelopes addressed to me that keep showing up in the mailbox? Not cool. Creditkarma tells me my credit history got a “D” grade. Excuse me, I don't get “D's.” You are talking to a long-term honors student! News flash: Real. Life. Doesn't. Care.

Ouch.

Anyway, back to my friends. We were sitting together over a buffet dinner. And as I contemplated that I should probably stuff my face because this $12.00 meal plus decent tip is going to have to hold me for the next 3 days because I'm broke as a joke...we discussed this “real world” business.

Keep in mind that my friends took the practical route. One majored in Business and the other in Accounting. While they spent their 4 years in college learning about economics and business trends and how to file your taxes, I was being a Creative, taking Erotic Literature and watching Experimental Film (I'll just let you imagine what that entails.) I took a Philosophy of Yoga class and sketched nudes. Then I escaped to Ecuador for a year because oh crap-I didn't have a game plan for my post-grad life.

October 18^th 2014. Friend A has just taken her final CPA exam and bought a Mercedes in May. Friend B is chugging away at her business job while exploring a transfer opportunity in Arizona. Kaitlin is teaching part-time ESL classes online and just calculated her yearly income. CUE MENTAL BREAKDOWN!

Okay, so I bypassed a mental breakdown, but I did go through a week of perpetual worry about my situation. So much so that Friend B demanded her business-savvy boyfriend to write me a lengthy letter about how I am not doomed for eternity. Basically, it's not wise to compare yourself to someone else. Ever. We all have our own interests and gifts. We all also have struggles, no matter how successful we may seem. My friends may be business-minded, and that's great-for them. It does not mean that they too don't have huge hurdles to face. Besides, there are opportunities in any field. I'm a firm believer in chasing your dreams. Idealistic? Sure. Impossible? I don't think so. 

Rome wasn't built in a day. But I wasn't an architecture major, so I probably shouldn't even use that idiom. Why can't there be a degree for Corny Writing?