I feel the pain of the group - and I've been out of college for five years.

I think it's the isolation part that gets me too. Unfortunately, I can't even buddy up to coworkers. I work in a satellite office, and I'm the only one here - except for Thursdays.

So yeah, it sucks.

Yeah, she lives in Manhattan which is really far from me. I did a search and found a girl who lives in Lawrence, the closest city to me. I wasn't able to send a message so I added her as a buddy and sent her a wave hoping to get her attention. Is that the best way to start communicating with someone on this site? I just joined yesterday, so I am very new and would appreciate any advice.

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad EJ.

You could always post something on the "Events" forum.  I have never seen any events in the midwest- maybe you can lead the way!  Who knows- post, be patient and see what happens!

I'm glad I'm not alone in feeling that way too! I mean, I knew that the post-college blues were normal, but still, not a good feeling to have. Lucky for me, a lot of my friends were still in university up until last year, so I was still very much in the student life. But I've realized that when you start working on a regular basis, you're too tired to go out, or you don't want to go out because you don't want to be a zombie the next day. When I was in university, I stopped myself from doing many things because I didn't have any money. Now, well, I have a little bit more money, but I have more bills to pay, so I'm still not enjoying myself the way I would like to. Maybe I just can't enjoy the present time!!

I've recently started meeting people in this spanish-speaking group every Thursday and I was invited to this Salsa dancing party last Saturday and I've had tons of fun. I've met people that I had never seen before, and here I thought that Moncton was so small that I knew everybody. It was nice to have a change of scenery. AND a few of those people that I've met are veg*ans, so more things in common! I'm finding fascinating that Moncton has so many things that I've never knew about before because I was always hanging out on campus and in the same bars with the same people all the time.

i am going through this right now.  my adjustment to the 'real world' has been a little rough, to say the least.  i went straight into grad school from undergrad, so i'm feeling this way at 26 now.  i don't have many real life friends (i'm a tad antisocial and socially retarded, plus i honestly just have not related to most people i've met here) so being in school every day was a way to get me around other human beings.  now i work a job in an office with 5 other people, all of whom are married and have kids, so there's no possibility for 'friendship' there.  they're all so engulfed in their own lives, are much older than me, and honestly seem to think i'm a weirdo.  i seriously have days where the only person i see is my boyfriend.  and i'd probably NEVER see anyone else if it wasn't for him.  he brings people over here. 

mostly, i miss the lack of deadlines.  something so very important to be doing all the time.  being an art major, i know i should still be making art, but not being in that art community anymore has seriously diverted my motivation.  i'm in a major slump. 

my main goal is to move away from here as soon as possible to a place that has a job for me in my field, or at least one i would enjoy, and also people that i can relate to.  right now, michael and i are thinking pittsburgh or portland, OR.  i'm rootin for OR, but it will all depend on how things pan out.  i really think i need a fresh start.  i've been in this town for almost 9 years now and i hate, and i've always hated it.  there is nothing for me to do here but drink if i want to go out.  there is NO artist community besides the college (and most of them are honestly a joke).  and there are NO VEGANS or vegan places to eat.  everything is just so limited here, and i'm ready for more. 

anyway, yeah.  i feel ya.

awwww, kelsi! move to minnesota! I'll be your friend!

Hey! I live in MN! What city do you live in? I'm in south Minneapolis-Uptown area! :)

Aaaanyway, Kelsi, I totally know how you feel. I have been graduated for about a year & a half, and am just starting to feel like I'm getting a grip on things. Post-college life is confusing, weird, exciting, depressing, discouraging, etc. (for me, at least). It's sort of everything all at once, and that can suck. Bad. I also still haven't found a job I love--though I have one I like okay--I still don't know what I want to do!

My boyfriend just graduated in May, and it sounds like he is also feeling a lot like you are. He was forced to go back to his high school job (making decent money at a golf course, but he didn't earn two degrees to do that! ;)) because he hasn't YET been able to find another position in his field with the shitty job market. As if getting a job straight out of school isn't hard enough! :-\ He's also thinking about going back to grad school ASAP (instead of waiting a few years like originally planned) because he is SO frustrated with his post-college experience!

Just know that you aren't alone. I know that doesn't really help (it didn't help when people said it to me), but it's true. I think 99% of people go through a weird funk post graduation, but keep your chin up. You'll figure things out sooner rather than later!

aw.  yall have really helped me out a lot : )  im glad i'm not the only one going through this.  so.  the other girl i met on craigslist emailed me back the other day and her, her husband, me, michael, the previous girl from craigslist, and another girl that responded to her post are all going out to dinner on friday!  i'm super excited.  i hope it goes well, i only know one of them, and luckily shes pretty awesome so far!  so we'll see how it goes!  eek!

this is great!  have fun  ;)

I wouldn't worry about it. You probably felt more socially awkward than you actually appeared. And Michael just said that because he knows you so well and could feel your self consciousness.

I stayed in my college town for 2 years after i graduated and I hated it! i started to feel really old (i was only 23-24) and like a loser for still being there without a real job. you might feel the same if you moved back. I am glad I moved away to another state finally.

I have been graduated from college for (gulp!) 14 years now and  I still miss it at times. it seems like yesterday still (maybe cuz i dress and look almost the same?)
Maybe it  (the missing) never really goes away. There is just no other time like it, I think. its a time where you can be really self absorbed and everything is about you and its OK. in the real world we have real jobs and relationships and have to care about and for other people. its  a big change! now i wouldnt trade it for anything though (my current life)

Why did that girl move from asheville to texas? av is such a cool social place. I made more friends here in 2 years than i did in florida in 10 years (which was exactly 1, and i met him at the end).
Austin is ashevilles sister city though! ;)b

I had just assumed this was what happened to everyone after college - I know it did for both me and my husband.  Most of us spent our entire lives thus far surrounded all day every day by people born the same exact year - and now all of a sudden, you're thrown out there into a world of completely mixed ages, and you have no model for how to socialize in such a different environment.  I was out of school three years, and then went to grad school, but my husband's been out of school since '02, and he still gets really excited whenever he meets someone his age.  We went to dinner the other night with my friend from school and her sister, and my husband found out her sister was born in 1980, and was so happy - he said, "What happened to all the other people born in '80?  Do you know any in Dallas?  You're only the second one I've met besides me!"  I don't know how long he's going to be like that, but... it's funny, but it weirds people out.

Man, does this thread ever make me miss Austin.  I can't wait until I can live somewhere wonderful again.