I’m 20 and feeling really torn about my future, and I’d really appreciate some honest perspective.
For context, I was made homeless at 17 so I had to grow up very quickly. I now live with my boyfriend on a large property (we don’t live with the owners, we’re in a tiny property on the land). I run my own dog walking/pet care business and earn about £1,300 a month, including £800 from the main clients whose property we live on (rent free). I’m also studying Forensic Psychology with the Open University.
On paper, I’m stable and doing well. But I feel constantly stressed and “on.” My days are wake up, rush to work, manage clients, come home exhausted, stress about the housework, sleep, repeat. I feel strung out and worry I’m wasting my youth.
Long term, I want financial freedom, a nice home, dogs, a family, travel, respect, stability and peace. I enjoy my degree and like that it’s respected, but I don’t think I actually want to become a forensic psychologist, it’s a long, competitive and uncertain path.
What I’m really drawn to is interior design. I love photography, refurbishing and selling vintage antiques, and the idea of creating beautiful spaces. I’d also eventually love to run a dog grooming studio from home once we own a house.
My problem is I have no idea how to realistically move into interior design without blowing up the stability I’ve built. I can do a qualification alongside my degree, but how do you actually get real work or clients when you’re starting from scratch? Especially when I don’t want to lose my current main client (the £800/month one) and the housing that comes with it.
My boyfriend and I would also love to travel by campervan for a year after I finish my degree, before settling down. But I’m scared about how we’d earn money while travelling and what we’d do when we came back to the UK. The thought of coming back with no clear path really worries me.
Part of me thinks we should stay put for a couple of years, save hard, I finish my degree, start an interior design qualification, maybe train in dog grooming, build some kind of portfolio quietly, and then travel once we have a solid financial buffer and plan. But I worry I’m being too cautious and missing out.
Has anyone successfully transitioned into interior design laterally while keeping another job? How did you get your first proper projects? And has anyone done a planned “build first, travel later” approach in their early 20s?
I’d really value honest advice – I feel very aware of security because of my past, but I don’t want fear to run my life either.