Staying in Fort Worth Didn’t Stop Postgrad Growing Pains

Frolich had reasons to stay: her boyfriend was still studying at TCU, her closest friends were nearby, and she wanted to explore more of Fort Worth rather than return to her hometown in California. She pictured dinners, spontaneous visits and the routines she had enjoyed during college.

Instead, she was the only one in her group working a standard 9-to-5 job. Friends had classes, flexible work or lighter schedules, and their days no longer aligned. Frolich, who worked in advertising strategy, found it harder to relate to friends whose responsibilities were different, including one who worked in special education. Even an evening walk could require planning a week ahead. Her boyfriend’s classes and extracurriculars also left them with different windows of free time.

A year and a half after graduation, Frolich says she has learned to put more intention into adult friendships. Weekends are often the easiest time for longer visits, while weekday plans work better when friends join routines such as going to the gym or cooking dinner.

She has also built new routines, become more financially independent and taken on personal goals, including running a marathon and leading a small group in the college ministry she once attended. She can now visit family when she chooses, rather than only during holidays. After her boyfriend proposed, wedding planning became another part of life in Fort Worth, where the couple intend to stay for the foreseeable future. Frolich says she no longer wants to preserve her college life as it was, but to appreciate what comes next.