Are You Having a Quarter-Life Crisis?

By Kaitlin McDowell

Edited by Taylor Morgan

RISA / @eli.rallo and @bb.moveobjectss on Instagram

Have you ever been terrified to try a new workout class because it feels like everyone will know you don’t belong? Wallowed not over a heartbreak inflicted by a boy, but the loss of a friend? Been a chronic people pleaser? Sat at home on a Saturday night, consumed with worry that you were “wasting your college years?” I’m sure you felt these feelings were specific to only you and that no one could possibly understand. 

If you nodded your head in agreement to any of these thoughts or experiences, you are not alone. In her new book, “Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?”, social media influencer Eli Rallo proves these feelings are not that unique at all.

Fellow eldest daughter and everyone’s social media big sister, Rallo, released her second book, “Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?: Essays on Conquering the Quarter-Life Crisis,” on October 14, offering essays, reflections and stories that speak directly to the challenges of navigating your twenties.

Before she added author to her resume, Rallo rose to fame on TikTok, where she was long known as The Jarr, a nickname she trademarked by sharing fun snack mixes made in a large jar. She is also known for her lists and rules for different occasions and being a “Wicked” superfan (although aren’t we all?) 

Since her days as The Jarr in 2020, Rallo has built a community of over one million followers on TikTok and gone on to publish two books. Rallo’s debut novel, wrapped in pink and candy hearts, “I Didn’t Know I Needed This,” discusses her own romantic struggles and provides tips and sets of rules for navigating the modern dating scene. If you have ever wondered how long you need to wait to send that one person of interest a Snapchat back, this book is certainly for you. 

While her debut unpacked the chaos of dating and modern romance, Rallo’s second book explores the power of female friendships and the most important relationship of all, the one with herself.

One may be inclined to assume that these essays are specific to Rallo and her life experiences, but hence the book’s title, Rallo managed to perfectly encapsulate every anxious thought, self-doubt, insecurity, heartbreak and moment of joy I have ever experienced in my twenties. 

Through her engaging storytelling, Rallo tackles feelings of imposter syndrome, friendship breakups and the fear of not knowing what comes after college graduation, among other crises of the heart. Does any of this sound familiar? 

While reading these essays, I truly felt as if Rallo had taken these thoughts straight from my own stream of consciousness. There were so many moments where I was compelled to re-read paragraphs or even pages and internally scream, “Yes, I feel that way too!” 

With references to Taylor Swift and “Gilmore Girls” sprinkled throughout, Rallo speaks the language of every girl navigating the maze that is our twenties.

The book spans Rallo’s struggles from age 22 to 26, but I believe her advice and relatability can be applied to women of any age. This book is for the seniors who are terrified to close the door on their final chapter living a few feet down the hall from their best friends (me too!) The juniors overwhelmed trying to balance school and their social life. The sophomores mourning high school friendships that may not be the same as they once were, and even the freshmen who are trying to find their place in this new home. 

In a more positive tone. Rallo also writes of her deep connections with the women in her life and the power of female friendship, reflecting on her favorite college memories with her friends. Her writing will leave you feeling nostalgic, grateful and maybe inspired to text your best friends just to tell them you love them. (Trust me, I did.)

Throughout the book, Rallo reminds readers that having everything figured out at 20 would mean we have nothing left to learn. All of our unanswered questions can be reframed as new adventures we will embark on as we grow up. She writes, “I don’t want to have a boring life,” and I can’t help but agree.