What is that
When I turned twenty, I had already changed carrier path and studies about three times. And the realisation came to me like a wave: nothing happened. The world never stopped with my decision. I am in a good situation. But this anxiety is something that my generation shares, every single one of us. We are told in school to choose one path, and to follow it until the end. When we turn sixteen we are supposed to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives. It’s bullshit, but high school feels like this. But what happens if the dream you had doesn’t fit you anymore? What happens if you keep it up and ruin your mental health in the process? Wouldn’t it be better to follow another one? One that matches your growth? But how is this manageable in a society where changing your mind is still being seen as a failure?
With an and ambitious and imperfect character, Selene, this is the problematic I wanted to explore in this novel. Selene has it all planned. Her life. Her studies. Her future job. Everything. But she is also a helpless romantic. Which shouldn’t be an issue since she had planned to meet someone around twenty five, from her town preferably, and maybe get married in her thirties – you never know after all. This all goes to hell when she loses a bet and downloads a meeting app, on which she meets Noah. And falls hard in love with him. The pickle in that? Noah lives in the Netherlands, and Selene never planned for a long distance relationship in her tight schedule. Exploring the meaning of failure and change of path, this novel is both a way to understand my own experience and accept it.
