Zara McDonald - The Space Between: Chaos. Questions. Magic. Welcome to Your Twenties

Zara: So, this is the book, huh?

Michelle: I am fucking terrified. And excited! But mostly terrified. Am I supposed to say something important here? I feel lost. I have stage fright. My third word in our book is fucking. Im seeing little black dots everywhere. Help.

Z: Lest we lose the book deal before the book has even begun, let me get this underway with a question: Why? Why a book? Why now? Why at all?

M: Oh, thats easy. Why a book? Well, we wanted to write a book about the weird gap in life thats fuelled by cheap tacos and even cheaper tequila also known as your twenties. Its when youre an adult, but not an adult -adult the kind who is still intimidated by quince paste but can appreciate eclectic cushion arrangements at West Elm. Its a time when Ive felt alone and confused; when a lot of shit has flown into my face (figuratively, and only once literally, if you count that seagull in 2018) and I havent known what to do with any of it. I know youre the same, along with every other twentysomething I have ever met. So, we wrote a book about this specific limbo, in all its chaotic magic.

Z: This is true (the tequila, not the literal shit). Our twenties can be stupidly strange and its not surprising that we are desperate to make sense of it all. I think so often during this phase of life we feel lost and confused, like were in a constant and free-falling state of oblivion. Uncertainty can be paralysing, but it also can be illuminating. So, we wrote about all of it. We wrote about ourselves our lives, our fears and our ambitions. We know you may not share our experiences, or that you may not relate to the specifics of our stories, but we hope, deeply, that you will be able to relate to the emotions we share. Fair?

M: Absolutely. And its super important for Zara and me to say this upfront before we make you read 1500 of my very best words on the state of my fridge: we have written this book for every woman, but by virtue of being privileged, white, able-bodied, cisgendered, straight and middle-class, our experiences cant and wont be those of every woman.

Z: Our experience is not every experience, nor will we sit around and pretend the struggles we chose to write about are particularly cataclysmic. But we hope that when you read about them you might feel a tiny bit seen, or a tiny bit heard, or a tiny bit less alone.

M: We also want to be clear that this is not a how-to guide for your twenties. Why? Because we dont know shit, dummy! I only just figured out my cars petrol light has an arrow that tells me what side of the car to fill up on... and I only figured it out because Zara told me just then. So, as is abundantly clear, we have limited wisdom to offer you. For every kernel of clarity theres another question, conundrum or crossroads to plod through.

Z: We do not have the answers. Hell, were only twenty-six as we write this. But our twenties (so far), in all their messy and unencumbered glory, are worth our time and exploration, no matter how frivolous or unimportant they are sometimes made out to be. They allow us to sift through the shit that doesnt matter so we can find the gems we care about. They are about reflecting on the space between who we were and who we are, and bridging the space between who we are now and who we intend to be. These twentysomething years are our building blocks, our personal puzzles, a time of mazes and boundless questioning.

M: Navigating the space between adolescence and true adulthood will see us encounter copious stumbles and fuck-ups along the way. For the first time in our lives, were learning that were not right about literally everything. Actually, theres this thing called a grey area, and another thing called nuance, and theyll show you that youre nowhere near as smart as you might think you are. But thats what makes this chapter of our lives so damn bewitching. This is when we get to explore and figure it all out, with a blueprint that doesnt quite look like anyone elses, with a destination well likely spend our whole lives trying to reach. Its wildly exciting, right? It might not feel like that right now, of course. You might be reading these words and feeling like your personal compass is pointing nowhere, other than to a future of bleary unknowns. Thats okay too. Youre not alone in feeling lonely and unsure.