For 20-somethings getting their feet off the ground

[ghost-light]

I'm 27, and constantly feel stressed and frustrated with responsibilities that just keep growing and growing. Some days I wake up and feel so overwhelmed that I just want to go back to sleep; even if I put in the effort, do everything I can, it won't be good enough and I'll still come up short.

Ever since I graduated college, I feel like any time spent not making money is wasted and that my value only resides in what I can produce. It's such a terrible feeling, but I can't bring myself to shake it.

[DreamsAreImportant]

On 8/28/2014 at 8:48 AM, Ismira Daugene said:

Just caught up reading through these and can I just reiterate? Twenties suck... for everyone.

For those of you still living at home with your parents, don't fret. I graduated college (the first time) and had to go back to live with my parents because there were no jobs! A degree in creative writing is not conducive to being an independent adult, let me tell you! I lived with my parents for the next two and a half years before I went back to university at the age of 26. Now, I'm paying my own rent, electric, and internet while going to college full time and having a part time job on the weekends. It sucks. It really does, but I've learned to live for the small things that make me happy. Yeah, I need to plan ahead (sometimes years in advance), but thinking about that kind of stuff all of the time is quite depressing. Instead focus on small things. Do the 100 Days of Happiness challenge where each day you have to find something that made you smile and write it down or blog about it!

I don't know the statistics, but I would say there are A LOT more people who live with their parents for longer periods of time now than say thirty or even twenty years ago. The expectations that society has about this derive from the thinking twenty and thirty years ago though! I don't know what it's like in places outside the Midwest, but here it's almost shameful to still be living with your parents after the age of 22 or so. But a lot of people don't have another choice! I think a lot of it has to do with the economy, college expenses CONSTANTLY going up, the job market, and the shift in what's needed in the job market (more science/math/technology jobs now). Yeah, our generation gets the benefit of coming in just as the baby-boomers are going out, but it's still tough.

Also, all of my rants here are just from an American stand-point. Is there anyone here from another country? What's it like there? Are the expectations different?

How is everything now? I'm going through something similar right now also, but it's fine. I don't mind going to school full time and part time working.

[Sherlocks]

On 8/25/2014 at 8:17 PM, Every Red Heart Shines said:

Life is tough, and we didn't really understand this until now. Everything is scary, and everything is confusing.

What challenges do you face? What solutions have you found? What gets you down, what gets you by?

Share your pains, spread hugs and pass around cake, and more than anything announce with pride your accomplishments!

whatever you wanna post, post here, for fellow 20-somthinites to hear!

 

Its hard to finding a steady job because im young and don't have a lot of experience

I can't network because I have very bad social skills 

I not into the casual sex scene and not sure how to find new people who are not 

I also have a lot of issues keeping relationships of any sort(people say I'm cold)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[in.visible]

I've been living on my own for almost 6 years now. At first I got financial support from my parents, but it came with a lot of pressure. I went through a lot of shit from when I decided to drop out of university and get an apprenticeship, but at least I'm not depending on them anymore. The downside - especially after last year - is that I've started to feel extremely lonely at times. Most of my friends are gone. My depression and social anxiety give me hard times at work and in my free time. I'm an introvert. I love going out (for taking photos), but I hate doing it alone (and for some locations it would be plain  stupid to go alone - so I have to cross them off my list in the first place). My therapist tells me to get at least one other friend, but I simply don't know how. So yeah, life's really peachy for me right now. /sarcasm

[ranting ferret]

lots of different experiences, especially in terms of finding a proper job, let alone a career. i know the area i want to be in (the art world - making, curating, research, critiquing, any and all of it!). but there's a lot there i can't delve into right now.

 

but this i'll say, mainly in reference to practical "basic" adult things. it sure would be nice to learn about something, even just to be told about it, before it's all gone to shit. i was never taught to change a tire...until the 2nd time around i had a flat tire. and one of the older adults i'd called for help just got snippy with me for not knowing how. i got other help, help that taught me instead of blamed me. i wasn't told how to check oil. i knew nothing about insurance or the terms. i barley understood why i needed it. parents just set it up for me and i barely got words in edgewise. i dropped it because i couldn't afford it. later i was able to have it and suddenly had to start from scratch. learned about car insurance because i suddenly had to get in and had a week to figure it all out.
learned about renting contracts because i needed a place to live during school. none of this was taught to me by the adults in my life who should have (and could have, i would add). and i've had enough of those same adults get snippy or disregard or treat me like i'm inept because i haven't know about said thing. and that shit pisses me off.

p.s. on that note, i don't know if i have good advice, but i'm willing to share whatever i do know about various adulty things.

[QueenOfTheRats]

I'm just really sad because I wanted to get married to my first love when I was 20, and that never happened, and I have never felt that strongly about a guy since. Then I found out I was asexual, and now I'm almost 30, and it feels like I will never find happiness.

[chair jockey]

I'm an intruder from the 50s thread. So shoot me.

 

Some people were talking about Billy Joel and I remembered the quintessential New York City love song by the man. Romantics rejoice:

 

 

[Gloom]

On 2/13/2017 at 0:31 AM, mania said:

I've been living on my own for almost 6 years now. At first I got financial support from my parents, but it came with a lot of pressure. I went through a lot of shit from when I decided to drop out of university and get an apprenticeship, but at least I'm not depending on them anymore. The downside - especially after last year - is that I've started to feel extremely lonely at times. Most of my friends are gone. My depression and social anxiety give me hard times at work and in my free time. I'm an introvert. I love going out (for taking photos), but I hate doing it alone (and for some locations it would be plain  stupid to go alone - so I have to cross them off my list in the first place). My therapist tells me to get at least one other friend, but I simply don't know how. So yeah, life's really peachy for me right now. /sarcasm

I could have written the second half of this post. :|

 

I'm 24. The good news is that I have a stable, well paying job. The bad news is I moved away, have very few friends here, and my social anxiety seems to get worse with each new month. I'm cut off from my family after coming out to them as non-binary, which hasn't helped. A few of my college buddies moved with me, but that's all I have. I've been here for almost two years, and I haven't made any new friends. I've tried, but I'm terrified of new folks. And dating is virtually impossible when you have to explain the "I'm ace and uh possibly aro" thing. Also, even though my job is objectively good, I tend to get depressed and anxious while working a lot and find myself resenting the work. The idea of doing this thing indefinitely is kind of terrifying to me. For so long now I've been following cultural expectations (go to school, college, get a job), but I'm all out of those. I don't especially intend to get married or have kids, so what's next for me?

[SimplySweet]

I'm 20 an already feel like nothing really makes sense anymore. I'll be turning 21 pretty soon, and while my sister count downs the days I can't seem to ever understand why someone can be so happy at 23, I smile and say what she wants to hear because I know it makes her happy. I go to college but I feel like its suffocating me, I'll be graduating soon and I can't stop this overwhelming urge that tells me to quit while I'm ahead. But ahead of what? I don't know. I go to school because I know that's what they all want. They say I should work because I need to help but when I do I'm wrong because showing interest in the work Field is terrible if it means I let my grades slip- even a little. I failed history but I can never admit that- they'd die if I did. I'm told over and over again that I have to decide what I want to be. I say editor. They laugh. I say scientist in the field of the environment & they applued. They wanted to hear me say it to assure themself i was good in a good path.When I stopped focusing on English class and made science my major- I was the strange one because "its not me". What? How is it not me? I'm here, standing before you but all I get is criticism because it's not what you wanted. And now you're saying that its not me? I don't understand, you were the one that made the face of disgust when I said editor, and you the one who said it'd waste my time- and you, the one who said I could be anything, but should probably choose something more realistic. I sit at the school library and just stare at my notebook with this empty feeling at the pit on my stomach. I feel like a child at times like these and think when will I be the adult they want. I want to grow up and have everything set up just right for me to be alone and not have to worry, but I also want to remain a child and not have a care in the world. What can I say? It's complicated.

[22Dylan22]

I'm 22 years old and I've only known about my asexuality for a year as I mentioned on a previous thread. I've often been told that I'm "too young" for my age, I've even been called "undeveloped" before. I think many of us feel lost because most people's lives become stable and more adult like when they find love. Tbh I haven't adapted much to adult life, I still live at home and I've never had a relationship (not that I want one). It's sad because I see my friends find love and move on and I get left behind. I used to be bullied for my asexuality so at least that's over...

[J. van Deijck]

so I'm almost 27 and theoretically I have everything I need to feel happy (job, money, my own place to call home, I'm free to express myself through my appearance and interests etc.), + some additional things that turned out to be amazing (found my other half).

but I lacked one important thing: good health. I'm disabled + I have a serious genetic disorder, both significantly affect my life. I also have some mental problems, currently I feel the anxiety hits me the most and I'm not happy that it's back in my life (it's been healed pretty well with meds).

I'm also a perfectionist. currently I work so hard that I'm one of the most effective workers in my workplace (!!!) and I got the premium money for that, which actually means something there. but it costs me much anyway. I barely have the time to sleep or eat or even hang out with friends. I'm also under pressure that makes my stress levels higher.

I'm generally happy with my life, but I feel the stress won't be that merciful to my health.

[22Dylan22]

10 minutes ago, UVB-76 said:

so I'm almost 27 and theoretically I have everything I need to feel happy (job, money, my own place to call home, I'm free to express myself through my appearance and interests etc.), + some additional things that turned out to be amazing (found my other half).

but I lacked one important thing: good health. I'm disabled + I have a serious genetic disorder, both significantly affect my life. I also have some mental problems, currently I feel the anxiety hits me the most and I'm not happy that it's back in my life (it's been healed pretty well with meds).

I'm also a perfectionist. currently I work so hard that I'm one of the most effective workers in my workplace (!!!) and I got the premium money for that, which actually means something there. but it costs me much anyway. I barely have the time to sleep or eat or even hang out with friends. I'm also under pressure that makes my stress levels higher.

I'm generally happy with my life, but I feel the stress won't be that merciful to my health.

I know how you feel about the lacking of good health, I'm disabled too. I have mild CP, OCD and very severe social anxiety. Nice to meet someone else  

[J. van Deijck]

2 hours ago, 22Dylan22 said:

I know how you feel about the lacking of good health, I'm disabled too. I have mild CP, OCD and very severe social anxiety. Nice to meet someone else  

*high fives you* OCD here as well.

may I ask you what kind of disability you have or would it be too much to ask?

[Glados]

I went through a lot a year or 2 ago, really struggled going though my masters degree while working. I had few friends and a couple of failed relationships (i hadn't figured I was ace at the time and what doing what I thought I should be to be like everyone else). One my degree was done, my best friend and roomate kept me there because I felt like I couldn't leave and abandon her (she has depression). But I started full time in my job and she got a Boyfriend and I felt so alone. This was around the time i started hearing terms like asexual. In the end I quit my job and moved across the county and moved back in with one of my parents luckily. Although 6 months unemployed and practically friendless didn't feel like luck. All I did was compare my life to others and that just made me feel even worse.

 

It took time but I slowly started giving myself little projects to do and started small in my job search. I eventually got one, moved to my other parents house, closer to friends and started to pick myself up.

 

It took time cause I was still comparing myself to others but now at 26 I realised that I need to do things at my own pace and things that make me happy. I also realised that I don't have to follow what's expected of people my age (own home, relationship etc). I'm an adult now and I can do what I want haha and if I don't what those things I don't have to have them! I'm still learning, especially with the ace stuff but removing the awkwardness of 'i should be in a relationship/ have this or that' has taken away a lot of anxiety in my life that I can say it's going alright

 

Being on here and realising I'm not so alone also helps. So for those who took the time to read this, thank you, and don't worry sometimes things just take a bit of time to work out and we're all going through it

[tootroublesome]

I'm a little bit of everywhere. Mostly, I don't know what my purpose is and I think too much but not enough. I use to be in the military a few years back, and I know that messed things up for me regarding finishing college. But here I am now, and I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I freelance from home most of the time, but now I'm studying/planning to start an online copywriting for nonprofits business. If all goes as plan, I will finally be getting somewhere with my life. I also need to start paying off old student loans because that's number one contender for putting a dark cloud on me everyday. Blah... it is what it is though.

[Wiinters_Wolf]

On Friday, April 07, 2017 at 5:52 AM, Glados said:

I went through a lot a year or 2 ago, really struggled going though my masters degree while working. I had few friends and a couple of failed relationships (i hadn't figured I was ace at the time and what doing what I thought I should be to be like everyone else). One my degree was done, my best friend and roomate kept me there because I felt like I couldn't leave and abandon her (she has depression). But I started full time in my job and she got a Boyfriend and I felt so alone. This was around the time i started hearing terms like asexual. In the end I quit my job and moved across the county and moved back in with one of my parents luckily. Although 6 months unemployed and practically friendless didn't feel like luck. All I did was compare my life to others and that just made me feel even worse.

 

It took time but I slowly started giving myself little projects to do and started small in my job search. I eventually got one, moved to my other parents house, closer to friends and started to pick myself up.

 

It took time cause I was still comparing myself to others but now at 26 I realised that I need to do things at my own pace and things that make me happy. I also realised that I don't have to follow what's expected of people my age (own home, relationship etc). I'm an adult now and I can do what I want haha and if I don't what those things I don't have to have them! I'm still learning, especially with the ace stuff but removing the awkwardness of 'i should be in a relationship/ have this or that' has taken away a lot of anxiety in my life that I can say it's going alright

 

Being on here and realising I'm not so alone also helps. So for those who took the time to read this, thank you, and don't worry sometimes things just take a bit of time to work out and we're all going through it

I agree with your quote about being an adult and doing anything you want now.

 

It also took me a couple years of beating myself up about where I was in life to realize that as an adult I technically don't have to adhear to the rules as to what "adulting" is and what it is not. Now, after coming out of a treacherous battle with depression, I finally find myself more involved in things that hold my interest and make me happy. Life is too short (especially the being in your 20s part) to not attempt to craft a life that is worth living. 

 

Thanks for sharing your story, it's nice to know I'm not the only nearly 26-year-old who shares this sentiment. 

[Wiinters_Wolf]

14 hours ago, tootroublesome said:

I'm a little bit of everywhere. Mostly, I don't know what my purpose is and I think too much but not enough. I use to be in the military a few years back, and I know that messed things up for me regarding finishing college. But here I am now, and I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I freelance from home most of the time, but now I'm studying/planning to start an online copywriting for nonprofits business. If all goes as plan, I will finally be getting somewhere with my life. I also need to start paying off old student loans because that's number one contender for putting a dark cloud on me everyday. Blah... it is what it is though.

@tootroublesome What type of freelancing do you do? I would love to start my own thing, but figuring out where to start is tough. 

Nevertheless, I hope all goes well and that your copywriting business is a success!! 

[Wonderment]

On 1/15/2016 at 6:05 PM, Wonderment said:

Recently graduated with a degree, and am stuck in that rut of trying to find something workwise that includes what I studied for.

But also. Depression. I think it's coming back to me. I don't like that it follows me around my whole life. I change my situation to get away from it, and it works. For a while. But then it comes back. I made many wonderful friends at high school, but because they were my life, I didn't focus so much on making new friends at tertiary school. Now I'm finding that me and the high school friends have all grown into different people, and I don't really find them as socially interesting as I once did. So there aren't many people I can hang out with these days. I made proper friends with like, one person at my course, and they live like an 8 hour drive away. I just wish I could physically spend time with people that interest me.

Am moving cities soon (even further away from new friend :I), and I very much would like to move in with my aunt so I can get used to the new city in a comfortable manner, which my mum has been saying for the past three weeks that she'll sort out, and she hasn't.

Because I'm moving cities within the next month, I haven't been looking for work in my current city, and because I'm not working, I'm using the government to help pay my life, which they get really shitty with if you don't look for work. And i'm freaking out thinking they're going to cut my funds and I won't be able to move.

So anyway. I still haven't been able to move to the city where I wanted to. But I've moved out of my parents house, and instead I now live with my friend that I made at my course. I've been here for a few months, and I've almost been able to secure a job.  Two days ago I handed over the payment forms and the boss has been training me up and has put me on call until my roster is finalised. However, until I get an official pay, I'm still on welfare. And because it is welfare, anything could happen. Three days ago I met with them because they wanted to talk. They want to put me on a four week course for 18 to 24 year olds that starts in four days time, where I'll learn how to budget and cook meals, and they expect me to take it. I felt like I was being treated like some lowlife. They just assumed I was going nowhere in my life and that I did not know any basic skills at all. It's a full time course. If I take it, I'll have to give up my new job. Which is ridiculous, because the welfare scheme wants you to find work :/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tootroublesome]

On 4/11/2017 at 8:43 AM, Wiinters_Wolf said:

@tootroublesome What type of freelancing do you do? I would love to start my own thing, but figuring out where to start is tough. 

Nevertheless, I hope all goes well and that your copywriting business is a success!! 

I typically do editing, writing, and transcribing. It is tough and I've only just got somewhere in figuring out what I want to do. You should write down all the things you're good at or would like to get good at. It's all possible and thanks for the nice comment.

[Losti]

I am 29 and I just found out about asexuality. I feel relief but also sad. I feel like I'm so late to figuring out who I am. Like I missed a big part or life. Until now I have spent most of my time in survival mode. I was diagnosed with some mental illnesses and spent time in and out of hospitals and group homes. I am happy to say I am in recovery and I'm doing pretty good. I got my own apartment, I have been at my job for over a year, I'm traveling. I'm finally at a place where I dont have to fight to live anymore and I never knew it would be this hard. I have never had a friend and I really want one but I'm finding it hard to make friends at this age. I dont really know how to make a friend anyway. I think I am starting to grieve the life I could've had without my illness. And I'm trying to catch up. I am so happy to have found this website because I feel like it might be somewhere I belong.

[ZoeR]

I am 27 and just figured to my asexuality.  It was a relief but also added to my stress.  I figured it all out when I was trying to finish up my final semester as a graduate teaching assistant, get a draft of my master's thesis to my advisor, pack to move back with my parents, and deal with leaving everyone I'd gotten close to.  I am now stuck in the rut of trying to find a job that includes what I studied for, am qualified for, and would enjoy.  My life is also complicated with family health issues.  

 

It feels as if I figured this all out later in life then I should have.  I've had a variety of failed relationships that I'm still not sure what went wrong entirely.  Looking back, there are so many signs that I didn't see that could have made my life so much easier.  Growing up, I thought that I would be in a serious relationship by now, if not married, but now I'm not sure when or if that will happen for me.

 

It's also been hard as I'm not out to anyone and I know no one in the town my parents moved to, which is also kinda in the middle of nowhere, and I am really not that good at socialization when I don't know anyone.  My life is entirely in flux since I have no idea where I'm going to go, when I'm going to get a job, or even what that job will be.  

 

[Guest]

I like reading this thread, it's great to hear about people going about their lives experiencing both similar and widely varying issues.

 

So, an update from me! If I'm remembering correctly last time I posted here I was 25, living with my parents while completing my MSc. Since then I have graduated with a Distinction, went to work in New Zealand for 8 months and then moved to Madagascar where I finally started pursuing my career seriously by working as an ecological research assistant for a few months. I moved back to England before Christmas and have since got a job as a research assistant at a university and am also working on a phd. So, work wise things are going well (finally, it is ridiculously hard to get a job in the ecological field, why the hell do so called "graduate jobs" ask for "at least 3 years experience"? If they have 3 years experience they're not a bloody graduate are they?!). Financially things are ok too, I don't get paid much and live in an expensive area but I have budgeting down to fine art. So I'm 27 and life is finally on track, and (dare I say it) I'm starting to feel like an adult .

 

My problem at the moment is social, in order to get my dream job I have moved across the country, and I don't know anyone within a 3 hour drive (and that person is my sister and I'm quite happy to stick to only seeing her at christmas thanks). I am not good at making friends, being incredibly socially awkward (thanks Aspergers Syndrome) and struggling with social anxiety,  and I really don't know how 'adults' go about making friends... seriously how do you make friends when your not stuck in a flat together, or a hostel, or in classes together? So it's pretty lonely here.  I didn't even know I was capable of feeling lonely until these past few months, I guess you never stop learning new things about yourself.

[Wonderment]

It's been just over a month since my last post a few posts up the page. Nowadays I'm working two part time jobs. One is at a Subway restaurant which has taken soooooo long to sort out and get trained up on etc. But I'm getting rostered hours now, which is brilliant. I got my first pay from them this morning  And also over the past couple of days, I've taken another job at a local indian restaurant. That seems pretty straightfoward and easy so far. Dishwashing, till work, serving the customers, waitressing and delivery. I get paid extra to do the deliveries too, and tonight was my first delivery, and I even got tipped $10 from the customer I delivered to (I live in New Zealand, so tipping is not expected as restaurants actually pay staff a liveable wage.) Subway has priority over my hours which doesn't seem to faze my indian restaurant boss, so that's good. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for doing all this, and I'm very happy to be getting some money coming in that I've actually earned.

[Issy_Marie]

On Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 9:33 PM, ZoeR said:

I am 27 and just figured to my asexuality.  It was a relief but also added to my stress.  I figured it all out when I was trying to finish up my final semester as a graduate teaching assistant, get a draft of my master's thesis to my advisor, pack to move back with my parents, and deal with leaving everyone I'd gotten close to.  I am now stuck in the rut of trying to find a job that includes what I studied for, am qualified for, and would enjoy.  My life is also complicated with family health issues.  

 

It feels as if I figured this all out later in life then I should have.  I've had a variety of failed relationships that I'm still not sure what went wrong entirely.  Looking back, there are so many signs that I didn't see that could have made my life so much easier.  Growing up, I thought that I would be in a serious relationship by now, if not married, but now I'm not sure when or if that will happen for me.

 

It's also been hard as I'm not out to anyone and I know no one in the town my parents moved to, which is also kinda in the middle of nowhere, and I am really not that good at socialization when I don't know anyone.  My life is entirely in flux since I have no idea where I'm going to go, when I'm going to get a job, or even what that job will be.  

 

I know exactly what you are going through. I moved back in with my parents when I graduated because there were no openings in my field of study. (I became depressed and even more antisocial when this happened.)

 

Now, there are finally openings in my field,but because I have been out of school for awhile I am not considered experienced/knowledgeable  enough to land the job.

Even if I could, I have to worry about my parents who are in extremely poor health, and what would happen to them and my little sister if I did move out and took my income with me since I am the only one who can work. (This wasn't what I excepted my life to be like, but this is my life now.)

[Iiiiiiiiiiii]

Do you ever feel as though you're only in a tiny, bubble sized portion of the world? Where there's so much out there you want to experience and explore but it feels like your world is at a stand still?

I'm turning twenty here soon and all I can think about is getting married and having kids. There's nothing wrong with either of those things, except that I feel like that's what's expected of me even if my family doesn't say so. I just want to experience life before trying to settle down, however that always brings up my lack of wanting a romantic relationship. I just don't see the point of it and it frustrates my family which in turns frustrates me.

Is it really that weird to want close friends instead of a romantic partner?

[LemonTheDestroyer]

I'm 22, I have 2 daughters, I'm back at home with my mom, my ex not only left me once he realized I only wanted sex for children, but cheated on me when I was 7 months pregnant. I'm a single mom and I'm miserable with the life choices I've made. If I could go back, I'd change everything

[SamwiseLovesLife]

On 03/01/2015 at 11:03 PM, charliemcphee said:

Well, on the 'not ready to be an adult' front, I was talking to my aunt today and apparently none of my family feels like an adult. So either I'm related to half a dozen very tall infants or the whole world is populated with people freaking out about being grown-up. How reassuring (!)

Hahahahaha this is my family too. I'm not mad, at least we're all the same

[SamwiseLovesLife]

On 25/05/2017 at 9:58 AM, Wonderment said:

It's been just over a month since my last post a few posts up the page. Nowadays I'm working two part time jobs. One is at a Subway restaurant which has taken soooooo long to sort out and get trained up on etc. But I'm getting rostered hours now, which is brilliant. I got my first pay from them this morning  And also over the past couple of days, I've taken another job at a local indian restaurant. That seems pretty straightfoward and easy so far. Dishwashing, till work, serving the customers, waitressing and delivery. I get paid extra to do the deliveries too, and tonight was my first delivery, and I even got tipped $10 from the customer I delivered to (I live in New Zealand, so tipping is not expected as restaurants actually pay staff a liveable wage.) Subway has priority over my hours which doesn't seem to faze my indian restaurant boss, so that's good. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for doing all this, and I'm very happy to be getting some money coming in that I've actually earned.

Congrats! I love the independance of earning my own living

[Digs_Dead_People]

On 8/25/2014 at 9:17 PM, Teagan1 said:

Life is tough, and we didn't really understand this until now. Everything is scary, and everything is confusing.

What challenges do you face? What solutions have you found? What gets you down, what gets you by?

Share your pains, spread hugs and pass around cake, and more than anything announce with pride your accomplishments!

whatever you wanna post, post here, for fellow 20-somthinites to hear!

I'm 28, but I'm just now getting my feet under me.  I currently face the challenge of finding a job that will pay me enough to leave my parents along with the challenge of being able to afford to go to a field school necessary to graduate from my current degree program.  The solutions I've found are minimal other than saving what little money I can here and there.  When money and school problems get me down, or other problems, my dogs help get me by.  I'm doing all of this to give them a better life.  They're the lights of my life and they're the reason for my existence.

 

My plan is to becoming a historical archaeologist working in England and I'm more than proud of how far I have come in my life!  I went from walking, to not being able to walk due to GBS, to being able to walk, going to school, and going to college.  I earned my first college degree in 2012 and now I'm working on my second to pursue the job I really want.  I have done a whole ton in my life with the help of my family and I couldn't be more proud.

[Lynnj]

I am 21, finishing up university while living at my parents, and have no idea what to do with my major-- or life. I decided a degree in psychology because the topic is interesting to me but later realized that the jobs that go along with it are not something I would like to do. I might be an illustrator instead. Or a goat herder in New Zealand. I have no clue. 

Everyone around me seems to be getting engaged or married or starting a family, and I feel left by the wayside. 

My older brother and his wife are having a baby, the kid that'll make me an aunt for the first time. I find myself thinking and wondering what a good role model looks like and what family as it grows and expands means.

 I don't even want to get married, or have kids. But I feel pressured all the same, mainly because since my older sisters' engagement my parents have been dropping hints about me finding someone. They don't know I'm asexual, and I truly think they just won't understand, as in they won't  be able to conceptualize what being asexual entails. Even if I lay out the facts. So that has been weighting on me as well. Life feels like getting crashed under waves at the moment and when I am able to catch my breath for a second another wave pushes me under.

So yeah, other people's life moving, life in general, the blurry future, growing up, and dwelling what "growing up" even means. So far that's my twenties.