"Don't Worry: It Gets Worse": A Review

This post half a book review and half a traditional blog post. Except I'm writing it from my phone. *Disclaimer: if I neglect the use of apostraphes where necessary, it is because my texting habits have deemed apostraphes optional. I do apologize.*

I recently finished reading Alida Nugent's "Don't Worry, It Gets Worse: A Twentysomething's (Mostly Failed) Attempts at Adulthood." If you're a twentysomething in college, read this book and take notes. It will prepare you for the days ahead. If you're a twentysomething college graduate, read this book. It will encourage you to know you're not alone in the struggle. If you're a parent of a twentysomething, read this book. It will help you understand what's going on in your twentysomething's life. If you simply enjoy great reads, read it! 

I fall into the twentysomething college graduate category. While some of my engineering fellow Boilermakers were starting their careers or landing RAships and TAships (again, in their career field), I was working nights at a chicken joint and occassionally selling clothes to Jenny, Mike, & The Kids. I'll be honest, there were engineering friends who didn't land a job right away, but a linguist with a BA who isn't fluent in a second language can't get very far. This is where Alida comes in.

Alida majored in writing (or was it English?) at Emerson college and graduated a lot like me: clueless and with unique skills. Alida's blunders were very similar to mine and her writing is quite entertaining and witty. 

Uncertainties are everywhere! Nothing good happens after 2am! Tequila unleashes the beast at your "mature" party! Alida shares these lessons while laughing at them and acknowledging universal truths. "We all put our pajamas on the same way: one foot at a time in front of a TV with chips falling out of our mouths." Her references to Cheeto dust? Totally about me. 

If you like witty writing, read this book. She does speak crudely, but it's not like most twentysomethings don't speak like that. 

This inbetween phase is hard. And it's weird. I can't remember the last time a saw a movie or watched a show about the phase between college and actually doing what you want to do. The trabsition, the making-it-happen, or starting out phase. I hadn't known what to expect and I've honestly felt stupid. It sounds stupid.

Christina L Riepe:

-22-years-old

-Purdue graduate

-Owns 15 books on Spanish

-Great cooking skills

-Works a receptionist

-And a waitress

-Sells knives

-Lives at home

-Dream: spending the majority of the rest of her life outside the US.

Not only does it sound silly, it sounds dumb. Those facts make me sound like some hippy, privileged, anti-American schmuck. But maybe I give myself too much credit.

Twentysomethings, I believe in you. I believe in you because you're learning how much a dollar really costs. I believe in you because you still believe there's more to life than earning a paycheck to pay bills. Even if that's the only thing on your mind this week. I believe in you because Bender from the Breakfast Club and DanIsNotOnFire & AmazingPhil are your heroes. I believe in you because you've made it this far alive. 

I also love reading your blogs.

For the rest of you, help a twentysomething out by paying a lunch date for them. They probably haven't eatten anything besides toast this week. And don't make fun of people you know who regularly post YouTube videos or write on Tumblr. They just might write a book.

<3