Quarter Life Crisis (QLC)

A quarter-life crisis isn't really a new concept but the economic climate and job market that the current 20-something generation faces, in my humble opinion, is amplifying the effect and prevalence of QLC's. I began to experience my QLC last summer after I finished my first year at my second university when I found out that I would not be receiving enough financial aid to return to school in the fall...great. On top of that, my boyfriend of 3 years broke up with me...fucking FANTASTIC, right? I started to panic and began asking myself questions like, "will I ever get my degree?" "did I waste my time busting my ass all of these years to get good grades?" "I wonder if I could qualify as an independent?" and then it turned into "WILL I DIE AS A CAT LADY ALL ALONE?!" and "I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITH MY GRANDPARENTS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!"

I needed a break. So I went to visit some of my good friends in Brooklyn to get my mind off of things. I hadn't laughed that hard in so long. I discovered that 40's of PBR, rooftop party hopping, and shopping at second hand stores distracted me from the problems at hand. In fact, I loved it so much, I moved to Brooklyn the following week and fell even deeper into my QLC. I worked 3 jobs inconsistently, spent all of my money (and a lot of my family's) on clothes and bagels, and did anything that I could to keep my mind off of what I was going to realistically do with my life. 3 months later I was depressed, had no money, pissed off a lot of family that cared about me, hadn't enrolled in school for the following semester, and was still eating Kraft's single cheese because I didn't know how to - and didn't care - to figure out how to cook.

Unfortunately, all of this needed to happen for me before I could get back on my feet again. I am now attending school, live with my new boyfriend, have a job...but I'm still trying to figure all of this out. I'm happy that I fell flat on my face, but now that I've risen again I need to learn how to re-live life independently as a 21 year old. I cook (most of the time), I don't rely on my parent's for my rent or much else for that matter, but EVERYDAY I am faced with new challenges and I'm sure a lot of you are too.

Keep revisiting my blog - I will post when I discover an easy and delicious new recipe or how to dress for different types of interviews, or how to paint and update your childhood bedroom furniture - now that our parents decide to love us from afar, this is where I will put of the stuff that either you can't, or won't, or are too embarrassed to ask for.

Regards,
KTB