Today, I sat down with my childhood bestie, Hunter, to talk about what it really means to abandon a STEM degree in pursuit of something better, how graduating early can seriously mess with your sense of self, and what it’s like to become a first-time homeowner at just 23.

We get into the unconventional paths we take, the pressures of hitting life’s milestones amidst a pandemic, and the lessons we’ve learned along the way. After 10+ years of friendship, Hunter still finds ways to teach me something new—so I hope you take away as much as I did!

And the real tea? Figuring life out when you go off script is simply trying to hate your life a little less than yesterday.