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

That sort of travel didn't appeal to me either. I remember thinking how all I wanted was to be able to create a life for myself that could be long term. Going away somewhere for 6 months and then returning to all the same problems that I already had didn't make sense to me.

I think a good skill is to figure out a polite response when given bad advice. I could have done with being better at this when I was in my 20s. My biggest regret for that time was that I tried so hard to do things that didn't do anything to help me and I wish I'd spent more on things like learning a craft or activities that I could do on my own.

A lot of crappy men get snapped up quick too tbf and a lot of young women deal with the consequences of choosing bad partners in their youth when they get to their 30s and 40s.

You read it on here all the time - women who have been with their shitty husbands from age 25 who have just left them and their kids for a younger woman after 10-20+ years of marriage or men who barely lift a finger in the home despite both working.

Only three of my friends are divorced, one met her ex in her late teens and married about 21. The other met her first partner and father of her child at similar age and split up after he cheated. She then met someone in her late 20s who she married in her early 30s and now divorced in her late 30s. Only
the third one was in her mid 30s when she met and married a man soon after .

Unfortunately (some) women are often focused on being chosen rather than being selective and this applies at any age.
So what I’ve seen is it’s often (not always) the cocky over confident men who realise they want a wife to serve them asap, who are marrying young.

A lot of the best guys I know from uni married in late 30s.

I'm 65 now. In my 20s I worked like stink, bought a flat and focused on my security. Lots of my friends said I was bonkers and should have more fun, nights out, and go backpacking to Aus and Thailand with them. By the time we were all mid thirties, married and with babies, they got quite snippy because I could give up work because I was sooooo lucky. No, I'd bought a flat, got promoted and saved up and married someone with a similar mindset.

My only advice @IWasScaredToBeHeld would be to join some stuff that's f2f. That's how you meet someone nice: choir, am dram, church, volunteer for a charity, political party, friends of the V&A, etc.

DH and I are off to South Africa in a couple of weeks, no rucksacks or roughing it 😀.

I’ve never been particularly adventurous but it does sound quite boring and middle aged and you aren’t even married with children. Backpacking never appealed to me but baking bread and having a bath at home in my 20s wouldnt have been the height of fun for me.

I remember at this age I'd have a lot of people encouraging me to do things I'd hate purely because of their belief in the power of going outside of your comfort zone. It was almost like a belief that if I suffered enough then the universe would give me something amazing.

It just seemed like creating anxiety for the sake of it to me with it not even having a clear aim half of the time.

Another overreaction!
You're making up an argument in your own mind aren't you, I've never suggested you spend 6 months sleeping in a hostel 🤣

I think this is 100% fine. It wouldn't be fine if deep down you had a yearning to do stand-up comedy but never dared to sign up for a try out spot, or dreamed of hiking the Camino but made do with a local walk instead. But if this is what you most want, good for you. Far too many people undervalue contentment and the pleasures of a simple life.

But... if you want a boyfriend, you might need to tolerate the discomfort of some unsuitable dates before you meet a man you connect with, or sign up for an under 30s walking group etc to meet a like-minded man. Don't get so risk-averse that you narrow the chance to meet someone.

I got stuck in a very similar lifestyle in my 20s and I might have really benefitted from having a your attitude to it OP. For me I just felt a near constant resentment at what I felt I was missing out on social experience wise.

I'm also a bit cynical about going out of my comfort zone. The odd step out when there is the potential for rewards yes but not just doing it for the sake of it.

I do think that you would benefit from some longer term thinking though. As you get older some choices will start to close off.

Sure, "not anything particularly challenging"
For someone so happy and content you're very defensive about other people's perspectives 🤷

I'm glad my kids are not so " content" to be at home at 26. That would be cramping my style .

What's dangerous about that?

I'm exactly the same (glad to hear it's not just me). I just coast along in my own little world, and I seem to be more content and happier than many others are. I like my life and wouldn't change it.

Your 20s should be about experiences, about building the life you want, about being fearless.
Why 'should' it be about those things though?
It can be about whatever you want it to be, there's no rights or wrongs.

Ops life may seem limited to some people and thats absolutely fine nit she has social connections, engages well with others and his happy. Sounds like there is no drama or complications. Op is doing ok.