The Accidental Adult

Accidental Adult (n.): an individual whose age indicates maturity, but whose actions indicate otherwise.Those carefree days of post-college life went away in the blink of an eye. Now you spend your money on mortgage payments and Saturdays at dance recitals. The mixtapes you blasted out of your two-door coupe went the same way as the car, traded in--for a sliding-door minivan with a complimentary Wiggles CD.If life's the ultimate road trip, it's time to stop listening to the GPS of responsible adulthood. Instead, follow the lead of reluctant grown-up Colin Sokolowski, who proves growing up doesn't necessarily mean selling out. With a little guidance, you can survive the inevitable trek to old age as an accidental adult and have some fun along the way.Part how-to advice and part how-not-to narrative, The Accidental Adult leads you along an alternate path through adulthood. You'll learn there's a time and a place to act your age (ditch the Coors Light during dinner parties), but that you don't have to lose your sense of cool (it's okay to buy those $250 reunion tour tickets--as long as your car payment's in). With it, you'll realize that just because you're older doesn't mean you have to be lamer.

Colin Sokolowski is a professional writer; however, his proudest literary accomplishment was when the Minneapolis Star Tribune chose his letter to the editor---defending Van Halen's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction---as its "Letter of the Day." He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife, Kelly, and their three children, Shanley, Finnegan, and Maeve.