Relatable, intelligent and bloody hilarious.

Last night, I popped along to the National Concert Hall to see the glorious Dolly Alderton. I've been a fan of Dolly for a number of years, but fell madly in love with her after reading Everything I Know About Love. Her literary debut, the book is an unflinching account of bad dates, heartaches, humiliations, and most importantly, the unbreakable female friendships that kept her together. The book has been a massive success, and has allowed Dolly to go on tour, sharing stories on stage. I was joined in the NCH by 1000 other women in their mid twenties, most of us trying to figure out everything in life, from romance to career paths. Dolly took to the stage with her close friend and frequent collaborator, Lauren Benstead, at 8pm, and so the chat started. Kicking off the evening, Dolly and Lauren dove straight into what life is like when you turn 30. Something as a 27-year-old, I am genuinely terrified of, for no real reason other than it seems very... adult? The writing duo spoke about their twenties like an old friend that they had to say goodbye to. Of course, there were a few minor breakdowns before hitting the big 3-0, but both Dolly and Lauren agreed that they are way happier at 30. "I actually get happier with every year I get older," Dolly said. In fact, Dolly likened her twenties to quitting smoking. "I recently quit smoking. And like my twenties, I'll miss it every bloody day of my life. That doesn't mean I want to go back." Then came the MSN discussion, which made me laugh, but also made me oddly sad. Probably the nostalgia of a simpler time, when seeing someone login on screen would literally give you butterflies. But ultimately, the discussion was about the same thing as her book. Friendships. As you read Everything I Know About Love, you find yourself excited to get to the end, only to discover that Dolly has found the man of her dreams. But, like life, it takes an unexpected turn, which Dolly spoke about a lot last night. The real loves of her life come in the form of the female friendships she has. Friends that she lived with, friends that she fought with, friends that she has cherished her whole life. These are the real romances in the life of Dolly Alderton. The friends she has grown with, to become the impressive woman she is today. And if that's not a true love story, we don't know what is.