Where was the heads-up? There was no warning from parents, no preamble from professors or mentors, no cautions from older siblings or close friends. How is this possible?

Post-college life can be amazing, but it is also hard. So much will happen to us during this phase in our lives, but nothing speaks to the whole of it. And the whole of it can be unexpectedly frustrating, demanding, and disappointing-as well as exciting, dynamic, and filled with opportunity.

Then We Grew Up is a moment of introspection. Four years after college, I sometimes still feel just as lost and hopeful as that young man who walked alongside thousands of graduating peers into a period defined by overwhelming ambiguity. I hope that my experiences and the lessons I’ve learned from them can spark a conversation-a dialogue around what I and countless others have slammed up against: the shock of adulthood, the loss of clear direction, the expectation of instant gratification, and the fear that everybody but you has their entire life figured out.

The stories in this book are my truths-experiences that have come to define this in-between period. May they become a gateway for the exploration of your own journey into adulthood, no matter how far along that path you might be.