“Graduates in Wonderland” by Jessica Pan and Rachel Kapelke-Dale – School's Out Forever

The step from the pre to the post-graduate world is a big one to take, one virtually nobody forgets, no matter if that final graduation was in high-school or university; being thrust into the big unknown full of expectations from it is an unparalleled, once-in-a-lifetime experience, the one during which we actually do some of our most crucial learning and adapting.

Though the experience is, in itself, similar for most people, we all go through our own unique trials and tribulations, and in Graduates in Wonderland best friends (and authors of the book) Jessica Pan and Rachel Kapelke-Dale chronicle their post-graduation lives in as much detail as possible.

The book itself is a very light read, and follows the weekly correspondences both friends have been sending each other ever since they both graduated. In those e-mails to each other, Jessica and Rachel give out various details about their lives, what they are going through, how they perceive their experiences, others, their new environments, with general thoughts about life after graduation being thrown around here and there.

The whole thing is written in a very light, humorous, and rather relatable way I find, regardless of what your personal experience was like when being thrown out there into the big world.

I have to say that many of the things they have to say are rather interesting in themselves, and that's in big part due to the fact that both women seemed to have decided to throw themselves headfirst into the most alien environments, the ones that are a complete mystery: together, they end up visiting a whole host of countries, including America, France, China and Australia.

We get to learn about the life and customs in those places from a micro perspective, with the small oddities and peculiarities being pointed out for our entertainment (it's all done in good spirit).

Perhaps the most enthralling aspect of the book, for me at least, was how the idea of freedom via travel was explored. Pan and Kapelke-Dale did a wondrous job at capturing that spirit of curiosity that restlessly drives countless people to move from one place to another, to never become satisfied with the comfort that they have, constantly yearning for more knowledge and unseen horizons.

However, I will warn those who are seeking something of great depth that you probably aren't going to find it in this piece of work. Rather, this is a lighter read that doesn't seek to over-think and over-complicate things; rather, it seems to just present life as it is (in as much accuracy and fidelity as possible of course) and finds all that is worthwhile in it.

If you are looking for a book that is easier to read in its nature and won't send your mind reeling into a limitless stream of consciousness, if what you'd rather have is something you can relax with and enjoy on a lazy afternoon, Graduates in Wonderland will definitely get your spirits up and imbue you with the desire to travel.

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	Jessica Pan Personal site Jessica Pan is a half-Chinese and half-Jewish American author who only recently burst onto the literary scene with the book, Graduates in Wonderland, written by her and Rachel Kapelke-Dale. She is the one running the Graduates in Wonderland website, dedicated to the college experience in a multitude of ways.
	Rachel Kapelke-Dale Personal site Rachel Kapelke-Dale is an American author who, along with Jessica Pan, runs the Graduates in Wonderland website where they chronicle their weekly lives post-graduation. They've both recently made their mark on the literary scene, publishing the book titled after their website, Graduates in Wonderland.