September 16, 2025Work, Ambition & Unemployment3 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
52
to date.
Start by situation
What are you navigating right now?
Choose the situation you may be experiencing and wander through related essays.
Recently published
Latest essays
The newest public pieces, in case you want to start with where my head has been lately.
April 3, 2025Work, Ambition & Unemployment5 min read
Reflections from Japan, Part Two: The Beauty & Horrors of Timing, Effort, and Building Legacy
June 11, 2024Work, Ambition & Unemployment7 min read
The Complexities of Unemployment
Featured essay
Reflections from Japan, Part One: Searching for Peace & Simplicity In An Unemployed World
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.
More About MeBrowse by theme
A few doors into the archive
Curated starting points by topic, with the full filtered archive one click away.
Topic preview
Dating & Heartbreak
- 01Dealing with BreakupsArguably one of the hardest things in life to deal with, heartbreak never really gets…
- 02So, Love is pretty hard huh?To set some expectations right off the bat... I'm not sure this piece is going to be…
- 03Lessons I've Learned from Dating - 2021 Edition.So it's been a little while since I've written here. Since my last post, I've gone through…
Topic preview
Work, Ambition & Unemployment
- 01So, I lost my job.I 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…
- 03This Blog Cost Me A JobSo this is something that I debated on writing about... but I feel like it would be an…
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…
- 02My state of mental health: dealing with anxiety and stress.When writing these blog posts, I usually try to describe the problems I'm going through…
- 03Being Honest With OurselvesI've been thinking about this question for a little while now... so let me ask: why is it…
Topic preview
Grief & Mortality
- 01Nana.Today's a day that I've been dreading for a while... my Nana finally passed away. It's…
- 02Nate.So, this isn't a topic that I have delved too much into this year but I felt it was long…
- 03This Is A Reminder To Live LifeI'm not exactly sure how to start this one off, but it's apparent to me that despite how…
Adulthood in Progress
Never miss out on a new essay
Get new essays and occasional behind-the-scenes commentary on the book progress. Sign up to get new essays straight to your inbox, in case you don't want to come to this website all the time.