Enter 80s Florida, a world before smartphones and computers, when information traveled via television, radio, juke boxes, and pay phones. Showing up was the only way to make friends and find jobs. The news was filled with the Iran Contra Affair and the War on Drugs. Airports had no Transportation Security Administration (TSA). And college students completed assignments on paper with typewriters.

This is the world of Lynette Autry and Marie Martinez, two badass undergrads -- one cautious, one impulsive, both a mix of grit and vulnerability. They’ve learned that life is messy, and they’re determined to clean it up by finishing school. Whether their affirmations come from Shakespeare and Einstein, or maybe even prayer and clergy --, they are under the influence of pop culture, nature, and their own snappy catchphrases. A favorite: If you can’t be good, be careful.

Their freewheeling experiences, almost farce but grounded in reality, are the heart of this near-miss narrative that not only entertains, but intimately sheds light on serious women’s issues, working student issues, as well as the trials of adulting and finding love. They remind us about the importance of friendship and laughter, and especially about how anyone can be one weak moment away from falling victim to scams or a life-altering mistake.

This story is based on the author’s experiences during her early twenties, when she attended Florida State University (FSU), and bartended at the Tallahassee Airport.