To think you don’t need to live a particularly “uncomfortable” life to be happy?

Okay I see now. That makes a big difference.

I used to use "I will give that some thought"

I have found too that I don't regret making the effort to do something I want to do, even if it may be easier to stay home.

This.

Making yourself going clubbing if you don't really enjoy it isn't a win.

Finding what you love, and maybe finding others who also love it (or some of it)...winning

Very good point.

If you are happy then don’t change. I am in my 50’s now and living my life now similar to yours. It’s only when I look back in my early 20’s rebelling, drinking etc and I see once that all passed when I was 25 and living in a one room bedsit by myself with a steady job, it’s the happiest I ever felt. And now I have gone full circle and living that way again (albeit in a two bedroom apartment with a dog).
So don’t feel pressured to ‘experience’ life or travel far and wide. Just do what works for you. That inner peace and authenticity is worth its weight in gold.

Good for you op. Take pleasure in the simple things in life, it will make you happy.

Do you live with your parents @IWasScaredToBeHeld ?

If you are happy, stay happy! I have stories of the things I did when younger travel, clubbing, questionable sexual adventures. They all contribute to my life and I remember them fondly now in my 60s as part of what made me who I am but it is a somewhat rosy spectacle view if I am completely honest.

Whilst I don't regret the things I did, if I am truly honest much of young life was spent restless and unhappy, seeking for something to have meaning for me. Some cause wider than me that I could fight for or achive to make sure my life meant something. I regularly asked myself ' What is my life for, how can I get some meaning or excitment in my life?' In retrospect that is pretty ego driven, which is fine, I was young so it can be excused but I don't necessarily think it should be emulated

It took me a long time to find out that you make your own meaning and that it can be found in the small every day things as easly as the large things .

I will say it again, if you are happy and content, stay that way, it is not a small thing. If you find yourself becoming less content and happy, then of course review this but there is no need to be ' adventurous and taking risks if you have no desire to and very happy how you are'

See I'm the other end and it's my 50s that I have the greatest freedom to do things

Completely agree with this. A balanced approach is essential.

Obsessive thrill seeking and a fear of ever coming out of your comfort zone are extreme ends of the spectrum and neither is healthy.

It’s important to challenge yourself to gain perspective and build resilience. Never breaking routine and always taking the safest option is not going to bring the best out in anyone. But a person who is constantly seeking stimulation is probably not that comfortable with themselves.

Some people are excitement and stimulation seekers, others are comfort and pleasure seekers. There's no objective 'right' way to feel. But I think a well rounded life involves occasionally sacrificing comfort in the interests of experience, and making sure you have enough comfort to rest and recuperate.

I am similar. I'm 22, married, and have a baby. I feel very settled and I really enjoy my slow life right now. I have my hobbies and I enjoy going on pram walks with my baby, baking, cooking, reading, dates with my husband. I've never been clubbing and I have no desire to.

Having said that, we do live abroad and we're emigrating again in about a year so maybe some people would say that's adventurous.

Whether it's enough or not depends on what your dreams are. I hated clubbing at 27, but I'd done a lot of it age 16-21. I did love travel and that was my main passion, so I tried to do as much of that as possible without actually going for long back packing trips. City breaks are great, I don't think you're missing out by doing the kind of travel you enjoy.

But if you have an ambition you should go for it now. I was 'too content' in my 20s career wise, and now have regrets that I wasn't more proactive and that I didn't do something different. Everyone is different though, and feeling happy is the most thing important thing.

@IWasScaredToBeHeld

Dont get me wrong I loved clubbing and clubs (plus free parties and raves) were a huge part of my youth. It was a unique cultural moment (early 90s, rave scene) and I loved it although looking back I think the heavy drug taking and general hedonism which went alongside this was pretty self destructive.

I am very happy that there’s much more of a middle ground these days between “cool kids” and non cool kids (as defined by kids). The definition was always arbitrary and snobbish anyway but it also hid the fact that so much of fitting in was about your willingness to ingest lots of psychoactive substances (I am including alcohol in this).

I never developed serious issues with drugs or alcohol but more by accident than design and a lot of my contemporaries did. Although it was an interesting period to live through I really hope my daughter doesn’t get involved in a similar scene.

I think this is spot on. People are entitled to choose their life for themselves but I do share similar feelings about the wider impact.

I found the thread that prompted this really interesting because it was very typical of the mindset of my generation (Gen X). I have thought like this in the past but I am increasingly coming around to its limitations.

I do think its important to live single and independently for a period before settling down. Having children very young is very limiting in my view and restricts a lot of growth opportunities, particularly for young women. I would be quite upset if my DD chose to have children straight from school or university. I also think travel can be beneficial in lots of ways.

But the perspective of the poster in that thread suggesting that it was important to go to nightclubs every weekend and have lots of sex was very representative of Gen X with its hedonistic attitude to youth. The insistence that being young has to equal huge alcohol consumption, dabbling with drugs, festival culture and nightlife and loads of shagging will in future be looked upon ad a weird aberration.

So many people of my age (early 50s) now suffer from health issues directly resulting from heavy drinking, smoking and drug taking in their youth. Any young lifestyle which is interesting and varied but doesn’t involve hammering your brain and body is a good one in my opinion.

If I am and old fart so be it but I think Gen Z is much more sensible about the health risks of drinking and drugs, thankfully.

I remember having similar feelings about my town at your age. Once I was married and not living at home I felt differently about socialising with people of different ages but it's harder when your a living with your parents twenty something. I remember desperately wanting a peer group that I could share similar experiences with.

The sudden end to your university years with COVID must have made this even harder.

It’s an interesting one, I can see both sides of the coin. Personally I’m glad I went clubbing in my 20s, lived in London for years and did a little traveling including living abroad for a year. It was so important and life changing for me. I’m still close with some of those people I met abroad all those years ago. But then I understand it’s not for everyone.

I am also glad btw I did not touch drugs, get drunk or have casual sex and would have pushed back against anyone telling me to do. So I can understand the frustration of being told to do things you don’t want to because “YOLO” lol

I have mixed feelings on dating, in some sense I wish I dated more in my late 20s but on the other hand I feel I lacked the necessary discernment back then to have picked a good one so I would’ve put myself at a lot of risk.

I think it’s good you don’t feel pressured to go out and meet someone but you are making steps to find someone so you have the balance right there. I was probably too laid back about it but I think part of that was a deep fear that I would choose wrong and I’d seen a lot of my childhood friends ruin their life with shitty men from age 18-25.

I think this notion of ‘travel or you’ll regret it’ is a little overblown. I did travel in my 20s and lived abroad but it isn’t for everyone and doesn’t make people who do it any better. Sometimes it was pretty rubbish. I also saw a lot of unhappy people, Now my idea of bliss is a luxury all inclusive.

The thing I do think it’s important though is to focus on career and building up skills that you will draw upon for years. 20s are the time to push and take risks re work.