Thanks for sharing your experience. As a 25 year old right in the thick of it, trying to find my own personal balance, I'm curious to know your thoughts some more:
1. What are some of the trade-offs you're still feeling the impact of?
2. How did your "adult stuff" transition play out? Was it something smooth that occurred over a long period of time or a short immediate change?
shoes_for_thee|5 years ago
It took a few years before I really decided to settle down, put down roots, and get married. When I decided to do it, though.. I went and did it immediately. I moved to a quieter, less expensive city, bought a house, a 20 year-old truck, and adopted a senior dog. My wife was the first person I dated in my new city, and she worked at the cafe closest to my office. She was probably one of the first people I met.
Fucking off in your 20s can be fun, but it can also be lonely and depressing and you're never immune from all the bullshit that makes life difficult... At some point in time, I decided that I would rather be scared than bored and based a lot of my choices around that particular value. And that's one of the trade-offs: A lot of things are not going to work out, a lot of plans are going to fall through. You have to be flexible. You're going to be on a financial tightrope sometimes. Things are easier being settled. But, having more to lose, I find myself more resistant to changes and more risk-averse.
The longer-term trade-offs are just financial and professional. I could have been investing more of my money, or bought a house earlier. Getting yourself to a higher level of income is fairly easy, but missing out on 5-10 years of professional experience is difficult to make up for and that has long-term financial side-effects.
The fact that things turned out okay for me probably has more to do with luck that I care to admit.