June 29, 2026Life Notes3 min read
The Unofficial Guide to Being An Adult
A very unofficial guide to growing up.
Essays and a book-in-progress about love, work, grief, self-worth, boundaries, purpose, and trying to figure life out without pretending I have the official answer.
Essays published
53
to date.
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Finding Balance in Japan After Burnout and Unemployment
So, I'm back on the job market again. This will be the third time I have been looking for a new role since 2022, and as much as this has bruised my ego and made me think I'm the…
Read the essayAbout The Unofficial Guide
An archive of essays about navigating life
The Unofficial Guide to Being an Adult is written by me, Tyrell, a mid-30's Canadian who has been documenting life's lessons since 2014. In no way am I trying to sound like an expert, but rather, I aim to speak truthfully about life events I've experienced and how I handled them to provide insights and possibly guidance to another in a similar situation.
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Curated starting points by topic, with the full filtered archive one click away.
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Dating & Heartbreak
- 01What a Healthy Relationship Feels Like After ChaosI reflect on my relationship experiences and share insights from my one-year anniversary…
- 02Dealing With BreakupsArguably one of the hardest things in life to deal with, heartbreak never really gets…
- 03What Are Your Non-Negotiables in Dating and Life?I've been quiet on here lately... so I figured it was time to do a little writing on a…
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Work, Ambition & Unemployment
- 01So, I Lost My Job: Shame, Fear, and Starting OverI took a gamble, and it didn't pay off. At the end of this past summer, I left my…
- 02The Complexities of UnemploymentFacing unemployment again after two and a half years, I'm sharing my journey to shed light…
- 03Finding Balance in Japan After Burnout and UnemploymentSo, I'm back on the job market again. This will be the third time I have been looking for…
Topic preview
Mental Health & Self-Worth
- 01Who Validates You?So I had a mini-breakthrough yesterday after chatting with a friend of mine in the…
- 02Being Honest With OurselvesI've been thinking about this question for a little while now... so let me ask: why is it…
- 0328 Years of Anger: The Journey So FarI’ve wanted to reflect on some events both recent and not so recent that I have gone…
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Boundaries
- 01Setting Boundaries With People, Work, and Your Energy\\This is an excerpt from a chapter on boundary setting in my upcoming book\\ You're going…
- 02What Are Your Non-Negotiables in Dating and Life?I've been quiet on here lately... so I figured it was time to do a little writing on a…
- 03What a Healthy Relationship Feels Like After ChaosI reflect on my relationship experiences and share insights from my one-year anniversary…
Topic preview
Purpose & Personal Growth
- 01Being Honest With OurselvesI've been thinking about this question for a little while now... so let me ask: why is it…
- 02Reflections from Japan, Part Two: The Beauty & Horrors of Timing, Effort, and Building LegacyAnother week back in 'real life' and I have to admit, there's been good and bad days since…
- 03What Are You Afraid Of?It's the beginning of 2019, so that means it's around that time of year when the 'new…
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Grief & Mortality
- 01Nana: The Goodbye I Never GotToday's a day that I've been dreading for a while... my Nana finally passed away. It's…
- 02Temporary Forevers: How Much Time Do We Really Have?Time has been a topic on my mind quite a bit lately, especially as we all seem to have a…
- 03The Illusion of Infinity: Time, Love, and Endless OptionsSo the title may be a bit misleading, but trust me that this is not a blog about math…
Adulthood in Progress
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