you throw it and it comes back

the number of living, breathing boomerangers walking the streets today is disputed...

northwestern university's "medill report" claims that 33% of millenials (those born in the 80s and early 90s) reside with their parents. monster.com's number is 52%. the market research company, twentysomething inc., puts the number at 65%, and collegegrad.com asserts it's a whopping 80%. i pulled these numbers from an online article entitled mom, dad, i'm baaaaaack! (how appropriate!). not sure which is the most accurate, but it's safe to say that the boomeranger generation is a sizable segment of the population that should not be taken lightly.

in my case, my boomeranger sentencing lasted about one year before i packed my things up and moved out west. this physical separation from the nest has forced me to consider my own identity. i'm not a student, i am not employed, and i am no longer living with my parents. so what am i? a beach bum? one of my friends even questioned whether or not i can call myself a boomeranger any longer. well chris, here's my answer:

yes, i no longer live under my parent's roof, but that doesn't mean i have lost my voice as a member of the boomeranger generation. that doesn't mean i can wave my independence flag just yet. cell phone bill, car insurance and maintenance costs, anything relating to dental or medical costs, a grocery stipend (just a portion of how much i actually spend on food mind you)...these are all things that my parents still pay for. just because i moved out doesn't mean i can all of the sudden act like these financial dependencies do not exist. i am so thankful for their monetary support because i would be a street performer without it. now technically, a boomeranger currently lives with his or her parents, which i am not doing at this time...but i remind you that fundamental characteristic behind a boomerang is that you throw it and it comes back. it comes back. i cannot ignore the possibility that i could--at the closing of this unforgettable summer--move back home for whatever reason. the thought frightens me, but it is a reality. my own brother has moved back home, moved out, moved back home, moved out, moved back home, and is now moving out again. get the picture?

i started this blog as a way to chronicle my lifestyle with honesty and humor and to make connections with others who found themselves in a similar situation. theboomeranger began as a story about a girl living with her parents who had no car, no job, a very damaged sense of self-worth and identity, and a piece of paper that said she had graduated from one of the finest schools in the country. now, a year later, that same girl is trying to realize her dreams away from mommy and daddy. she has new lessons to learn the hard way, new adventures to share, and many new memories to make. i am eager to continue telling my story as i try to make it in life--or, more specifically, the city of los angeles.

turn the pages of my story with me :)