"From the author of Text Me When You Get Home, an investigation into what it means to be in your thirties, and to navigate some of the biggest milestones of adult life . . . and how it is more okay than ever to not have every box checked off"-- Sociologists have identified the five markers of adulthood as: finishing school, leaving home, marriage, gaining financial independence, and having kids. But repeated economic upheaval, rising debt, decreasing marriage rates, fertility treatments, and a more open-minded society have all led to a shifting timeline. So why are we measuring "adulthood" by the same metrics that were relied upon fifty years ago? Schaefer highlights people who have envisioned their thirties differently than how they are actually living them. She shows that being open to going sideways or upside down-- even backward-- means you found meaning and value in many different ways of living. -- adapted from jacket Provided by publisher.

Introduction -- Completing school -- Leaving home -- Marrying -- Becoming financially independent -- Having a child -- Conclusion.