I graduated from college earlier this year and like so many bright-eyed 20-somethings, I believed I was about to start on a grand Real World Adventure. Four months post-graduation, in the worst employment market since the Great Depression, my world view has dulled considerably. I’m working (for pay) and interning (for “work experience”), and with student loan payments starting soon, I gave up my apartment to move back home. My social circle, which was sizable as an undergrad, has taken repeated blows — my best friend just started med school, four others moved out of state (or out of country) for jobs, and the ones who are still around have (understandably) fallen in step with work friends or are still in school. I feel disconnected and lost, like everyone’s moving forward with their lives and I’m stuck in place. I’ve joined dating sites and sports leagues in an attempt to meet more people my age, but nothing seems to click. My mom keeps assuring me that when I get a job everything will fall into place and my Grand Adventure will begin. In the meantime, how do I regain my sanity and my social life? — Real World Weary
