Jaimie and Jess met at Rutgers University in 2006. At the time, both planned to graduate in 2007 and go on to achieve success in their fields of study—Jaimie in Psychology, Jess in Theatre. Three years later, Jess is still at Rutgers, only now she is working there as a web developer. Jaimie has found herself in jail…working as a secretary at a police station while finishing up her last few classes at Rutgers. Both bought into the belief that college equaled vocational success, but found that there were further road blocks in the path they set out in their late teens.

Their story is not so unique, especially not in the current economy. In this day and age, someone in their mid to late twenties who is on a clear career path is a rare commodity. Luckily, the success they found in their friendship far exceeded their career goals. The two found comfort in the long talks they shared about their day to day struggle to keep on a strict budget.

Those talks gave birth to My Broke Ass Life, a blog where the two could share their struggles to find themselves while finding that their lives aren’t turning out quite as expected. Jess and Jaimie are both miles off course from their destination, but they’re learning to just enjoy the journey.