not fully an adult but not a teenager either more lost than found but fully ready to live and to give between here & there my 20s led me everywhere: from love, loss, heartbreak, doubt, uncertainty, to developing a sense of identity and self-love, to lots (and lots) of mistakes, getting back up and trying again, more heartbreak, some adventure, traveling alone, idealism and finding my way to feminism, unemployment, internship over internship, finding a deeper meaning to life while simultaneously surviving the day-to-day pains, and ultimately to finding myself who I am and where I want to go

I don't know what I'm doing but I feel like I have to do it. A sentence that matches a lot of moments of my life. And also this book by the way. I just couldn't keep all of these thoughts to myself anymore because my head feels like it's gonna explode. Like on a daily basis. And who knows, maybe some of you think while reading this book (if someone's ever gonna read it...) "#OMG I can relate!"

This is for anyone who has ever felt lost in life, and thought they were the only one. The only one not knowing what to do. The only one struggling to choose a path. The only one behind in life. Because I have lost count of the many times I have felt this way in my 20s, only to find that the people around me were feeling the same. Over the past decade, I have lived in seven cities across three continents and changed careers from politics to tech and journalism. Farewell to my 20s is a collection of intimate stories and conversations with friends that offer a window into the different lives I have lived, and what I have learnt along the way: from leaving home to choosing a path and finding the courage to change when your present no longer fulfils you. I hope this book will remind you that being yourself is the most inspiring thing you can do, and that it is never too late to pursue the things you truly want to. Because it always seems impossible, until it's done.

"To the Mother Goddess of the World" is a story based on real events from my various trips throughout Asia. It is a recollection of my adventures in part and an inspiring story of a young woman reclaiming power in her life and answering the call of wanderlust after getting out of an unhappy relationship. Throughout her two-and-a-half-month journey, Aella visits breathtaking natural wonders, witnesses architecture of human ingenuity, gains new perspectives, and encounters true love.

This book is a compilation of 12 stories, though the majority have a Dark undertone, nonetheless, there also are stories that are lighthearted, funny, sometimes mixed with horror, and even romantic. Thus, giving a perfect blend of all possible emotions. As you dive into this sea, you will witness the turbulence of loss, pain, and emotional turmoil. Nonetheless, at the same time, there will be pearls of Joy, along with the reflective light of reality, with the bubbles of fun and the fragrance of love. It will be a read that will help you pass the time and provide insight and thought-provoking ideas. The book is a window that would give a glimpse into the Life of Sarah, the tales of Nina, the loss of Rebekah, the epistle of love of Issac, the struggle of Alisiya, and many more. Get ready! Not just to laugh, but also to experience the redefinition of Love and to feel the pain of the stories written in black ink. These may be just stories, but for these characters, it's a whole universe.

A thrilling new voice in fiction injects the absurd into the everyday to present a startling vision of modern life, “[as] if Kafka and Camus and Bradbury were penning episodes of Black Mirror” (Chang-Rae Lee, author of My Year Abroad). “Stories so sharp and ingenious you may cut yourself on them while reading.”—Kelly Link, author of Get In Trouble With a focus on the weird and eerie forces that lurk beneath the surface of ordinary experience, Kate Folk’s debut collection is perfectly pitched to the madness of our current moment. A medical ward for a mysterious bone-melting disorder is the setting of a perilous love triangle. A curtain of void obliterates the globe at a steady pace, forcing Earth’s remaining inhabitants to decide with whom they want to spend eternity. A man fleeing personal scandal enters a codependent relationship with a house that requires a particularly demanding level of care. And in the title story, originally published in The New Yorker, a woman in San Francisco uses dating apps to find a partner despite the threat posed by “blots,” preternaturally handsome artificial men dispatched by Russian hackers to steal data. Meanwhile, in a poignant companion piece, a woman and a blot forge a genuine, albeit doomed, connection. Prescient and wildly imaginative, Out There depicts an uncanny landscape that holds a mirror to our subconscious fears and desires. Each story beats with its own fierce heart, and together they herald an exciting new arrival in the tradition of speculative literary fiction.

Life can be purely for the cinematic value. Come along to the life lessons, glimmers and silver linings I've collected in my twenties. Join me as I dive into the nitty gritty of my person, take you for a walk down memory lane and turn pain into this piece of art. And maybe you'll learn a thing or two about growing pains, friendships and most importantly love. I hope you recognize parts of yourself on these pages.