Awkward point in life.

JacksonsMom

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#1
Anyone else feel that way or been through it?

I feel like I'm at such an awkward point in my life.

I just turned 22. That sounds so... old. Like I should be a lot further along in my life than I really am, lol. Sometimes I still feel like I'm 18/19.

I am just kind of in a rut I guess. I'm still living at home, which I don't really mind so much -- I get my own space, we're all fairly close and get along for the most part etc. But I feel like I SHOULD be in my own place by now and a bit more started in my OWN life and I'm just... not there yet.

A few of my close friends just graduated college, and are actually back at home... so that makes me feel a little better, like it's not JUST me. But... they've got their degree, more than I can say. But we all feel the same way, we just talked tonight... they both hate their jobs, feel like they should be doing MORE with their lives, etc.

I am not back in college again yet, because I didn't wanna just keep going for seemingly no reason, without knowing what the heck I REALLY wanna do. So I'm just working part-time at a daycare and then go walk dogs. I'm making enough for myself for the way I am living now, but couldn't afford my own place on this salary. I'm tempted to go into Medical Assisting mainly because I feel like there's a lot of jobs out there for it... I only need 12 more classes and then 160 hours of internship (which I already know I could do at my grandma's office) to have the AA degree and just be done with it. It's not amazing money, but I could have a "real" job within 1 year or 1 1/2 years. I'm kind of over finding my "dream" job and just getting something realistic that could pay the bills. I honestly cannot picture myself doing 2-3 more years of school to get my bachelors. I loathe school lol.

I'd like to be able to meet a guy... being totally honest I've never had a real boyfriend. I'm not a "loser"... I'm a nice social person, but I really only have a small group of friends that I hang out with maybe once a week, and we just do dinner, movies, etc. These are friends I've known since elem. school. But really I am not even in a huge hurry to get into a relationship, but just kind of want to start living my own life a bit more. But I'm not a bar hopper or a club goer ... I prefer to do dinners, and movies, and outdoorsy things. I have so many places I want to visit with Jackson and different towns and parks and such, but I don't really wanna do it alone.

I feel like... this should be the time of my life! I am capable of getting up and going anywhere, moving anywhere, doing anything I want to do... but I don't wanna do it alone.... and I just don't wanna get "stuck" and then look back 20 years from now and regret not doing more with my life.

I don't know, I'm actually very content in one way, but in another... I know I have to continue to "grow up" and move on to bigger and better things.

I think 22 is just a crappy age. :lol-sign:
 

Lyzelle

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#2
I'm sorta in a rut. Not a major one, but still enough to make me antsy. Not in college, not currently working, no friends, never go out and do anything, won't be able to work outside of the house for the next few years due to living in another country, etc., etc.. Married, though, and my life is pretty stable otherwise. We just got all the orders at all the wrong times for me to get back in school and get a career going.

I do have three Associate's Degrees to back me up for now, though, so I'm not too far behind everyone else. I just turned 20, so I have a few years to catch up to "normal" paces. I'm sure things will be better in a few years, I think this was my time to just sit back and relax, have some time I never got before while I was rushing through jobs, highschool, and so many college hours. Then married, moved, moving again now...It's an odd place to be.

I think everyone goes through some awkward bits of life.
 
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#3
Wait till ya get to 26 - talk about awkward and crappy lol.

I'm pretty much at a stand-still myself. I'm needing to move onto something bigger, better, and more meaningful/fulfilling - but I don't know, I'm in a rut as well...hang in there - we'll both (hopefully) have something good, productive, and forwarding going soon. You're better off than me though - I've gotten depressed, anxious, and suicidal.

I'm much the same way with my friends - I have exactly 4 good ones that I can really reach out to and whom's company I enjoy alot but we aren't even lucky enough to get together once a week; they seem to be advancing and going places and being busy while I'm just....left behind. When I work or explore with Katalin - company is fine, but lately I prefer it being just us two.

You'll be fine - don't overthink things and just enjoy everything you possibly can, drink in, cherish, and revel in everything you can. Just be yourself as well - if you prefer certain activities over clubhopping or going to bars then so be it. To each their own.
 

Southpaw

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#4
I feel like everything you just said applies to me, I'm just a year younger.

Even the people I know who are still in college seem like they are further along in life than I am. Maybe just because they KNOW what they are after, and I am still confused.
 

OwnedByBCs

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#5
I know how you feel. Sometimes, it feels like time is going but I haven't gotten past turning 18. I think part of that is just not really wanting to be an adult, and wishing things were still simple and easy. At least, it is for me. Everything is so complicated and "real" now.

I just realized that we're all about the same age- right around 20. I really do think that is a weird "transition" phase where its just not quite sunk in yet that we actually have to like, grow up. SIGH!
 

meepitsmeagan

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#6
Sigh. I'm feeling the same way. I'm 20 years old, don't know what the hell I want to do with my life, anything I think I would be interested in/enjoy doing I can't make a living in. I dropped out of college after the fall semester last year to move out here to CO with my husband. All my pre recs are done and I can't afford to spend money on classes that may not apply to my major.

My best friend is 1/3 finished with her degree and just moved up from our community college to the college where she will actually begin working on her real schooling.

I'm just, feeling like a failure. So, you are not alone.

On the upside, at least you get along well with your parents. I moved out abruptly when I had just turned 19 and haven't talked to my dad in well over a year. My mom is lovely though. :)
 

Red.Apricot

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#7
I was a mess this summer, until I finally figured out what I want to do.

Now I'm in a master's program, and in 3 years... I'll be in exactly the same place I was this summer, I fear.
 

~Dixie's_Mom~

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#8
I feel like everything you just said applies to me, I'm just a year younger.
This. I'm about to turn 21 and I'm really in the same place.

I've never had a boyfriend either. Always had a lot of friends in school, including guy friends, even a couple I really liked but nothing ever happened. It sucks. But at the same time, even though I'm 21, I only just now recently have felt actually ready for a relationship. I mean I was always jealous in school of my friends going out on dates and having boyfriends and stuff but I think subconsciously I knew I wasn't ready yet for that.

I'm also living at home (but honestly I love it, my family is very close and it would be a waste of money to move out), not in school or anything, only just recently got my first part time job. Hell I don't even drive lol. I do want to start school next fall and I'll be getting my license soon now that I have a job and can afford insurance. But it's taken me a while to get to this point.

So yeah not everyone just goes right from high school into the world and those who do often realize they weren't ready and come home or end up being unhappy. I'm personally really happy where I am right now and that's all that really matters.
 

skittledoo

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#9
I'm 26 and I definitely feel like I'm in an awkward point of my life. I just feel like I can't catch a break and I can't seem to actually move forward in life. Most of my friends are married with kids and really stable jobs/careers. I'm married but hell we are currently living in someone's basement instead of our own place. Its definitely just been feeling weird and awkward lately. All I want to do is finally just settle down somewhere. Tired of moving. Tired of feeling unsettled since it seems every moment I'm packing up and moving again. It sucks.
 

Pops2

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#11
try being a guy in his 40s. it's like going through puberty all over again your body doesn't work the way you think it is supposed to, you got hair coming in like crazy in places it never was before and you don't really feel completely comfortable talking about it.
i would commit murder to be 22 again knowing what i know now.
 

RD

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#12
Yep. 22 here and awkward in so many ways. :/ I'll take your tech job, that's the field I decided I'd like to go into because if I never have to work retail again it'll be too soon.
 

RD

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#13
Though southpaw you have my thoughts and vibes that you get your work situation figured out. Few things are worse than going every day to a job you hate.
 

Paige

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#14
I'm 21 and soon to be the single mother of two very young kids. It's an awkward stage for sure but don't let being in transition get you down. We've all been there. Maybe some different details but if you aren't uncomfortable, you are not going to change either. So, take it as a good thing you want to move on and better yourself.

In the mean times huge hugs. I feel ya!
 

Equinox

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#15
I know JUST what you mean, and it is odd from me because I'm only 19.

My friends from middle school and high school already have their career plans ahead of them, have gone internationally visiting children and raising money for families in countries around the world, published articles in science journals, and/or are currently either studying abroad or starting up internships so that they could begin their career.

And me, I'm still sleeping until 11:30 every morning and feeling badass because I legally played dice at a casino + drank a lot of alcohol during my summer vacation.Talk about being somewhere in life :p

Not that I honestly wish I were in their shoes, but I DO feel like I should be doing more and rearranging my priorities. I feel that I should be pursuing my desired career more strongly than I have been, but honestly, I am just passively getting through college at best. It sucks having overachieving friends sometimes, though. That probably has something to do with it.

Oh, and meeting a guy would be nice. I've had a handful of "relationships", but nothing that has lasted more than a few weeks. I'm definitely not even near ready to settle down, nor do I want to find the perfect guy just yet, but a committed relationship would be nice. That, however, probably has more to do with the people I associate with (who ARE party goers and bar hoppers!). Not much of a surprise considering I'm on a college campus.

But seriously, a fun loving, dog loving, all around good guy would be nice, for once.
 

~Tucker&Me~

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#16
Wow there are a lot of us awkward stagers aren't there? :p

I feel for all of you. I am 20 and in the exact same boat. I've been in a serious relationship for over 4 years and am itching to move out but can't afford to yet because I am in uni. Sucks big time.
 

CaliTerp07

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#17
Transition times are always difficult. I did everything the "proper" way, going straight from high school to college to work, and 22 was still really awkward, trying to adjust to being an adult, mourning the loss of college, adapting to a job where just because you were super smart and did great work didn't mean you got an A (and the promotion!), etc.

I'm 26 now, out of college for over 5 years, married over 4, and I'm finally feeling settled at this point. It's taken years and years of waking up and questioning what the heck I was doing, a job change, several moves, and more to get to this point though.

If it were me in your shoes (and it's not, so totally ignore this if it doesn't mesh), I'd go finish up your degree and find work you can support yourself on. You can always go back to school later to switch careers if you want to (or change jobs without additional schooling, in a lot of cases), but one of the best ways to figure out what you want to do is to try out a job. I thought I valued certain things before I got my first "real" job, and then I realized I was completely out in left field and went back to school to switch careers. I never would have ended up here if not for that totally-wrong-for-me first job though :)
 

Laurelin

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#18
22 was horrible for me. I'm 25, almost 26 now, and feel like I'm just now escaping that awkward time. At 22 I dropped out of school to go take care of my mom while she had cancer. Then I went back to school and fell into a lot of depression just about my mom and about all my friend's graduating while I was gone. I didn't graduate until I had just turned 24 so in that aspect I felt like a failure.

I think for me though, finally graduating and then getting a job- any full time job- set my life in motion again. I was pretty much static from 22 to 24. It was just an awful time and the only real bright spot was getting Mia.

I still am boyfriendless. :( It sucks but in other aspects I'm finally settling in and finally taking charge of everything in my life. I love the independence and I love working full time. It keeps me busy and meeting people. I love having money for my dogs too. That's nice.

Anyways, that first step of just graduating and then finding a job really helped for me.
 

Taqroy

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#19
If it were me in your shoes (and it's not, so totally ignore this if it doesn't mesh), I'd go finish up your degree and find work you can support yourself on. You can always go back to school later to switch careers if you want to (or change jobs without additional schooling, in a lot of cases), but one of the best ways to figure out what you want to do is to try out a job. I thought I valued certain things before I got my first "real" job, and then I realized I was completely out in left field and went back to school to switch careers. I never would have ended up here if not for that totally-wrong-for-me first job though :)
This (only I'm still in my first after college job because it's not bad :p). The absolute best thing I did was power through that "Oh FRICK I have no idea what I want to do with my life" phase. I hit that phase at 20 and, after taking an aptitude test, I signed up for the major that looked like it would have the most jobs and make decent money (which turned out to be computers). I got lucky and didn't hate it but even if I had I probably would have kept going. If I'd switched majors (again) my parents might have killed me.

This anecdata is really just to say....I like what I do (most of the time) but it's really just a means to an end. My job provides us with the support to have what we need to live and enough to play around. I spend 40 hours a week working but....it's really just something I do to survive. So my advice is to find something interesting as a job/career and use it to do things that you really enjoy on the side. And for all you stuck in hated jobs I feel so much for you - I hated that (it was restaurants for me, blegh) and it's a bitch to get out of. I hope you guys can find something else soon. <3
 
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#20
21 about 22 and awkward awkward awkward. Stay at home mom living with my fiance though. Have moved 4 ties in the last 2 years and planning another sometime after the first of the year if Markel makes it into the Navy. Trying SO hard to get a job but I a not really flexible in my hours so its hard. Not in school but desperately want to be but no idea what to go into.
 

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