Oh, hello

I'm pretty much in the same boat as Kristen. Our situations are very different, but the same sort of slight mental panic is definitely there. The fact that I just turned 29 and thus have less than a year until I roll into the fourth decade of my life is even more alarming!

I started at a great job right after graduation and have been there for over four years now. Great, at least, from a fresh graduate starter job standpoint. I know it's certainly not what I want to do long term. The question then becomes, what do I want to do? Answer: I do not know. I have a vague idea, but how exactly to get there is a thought I ruminate on daily. Do I go back to school? Do I give up a good, stable job, for one that might not be stable at all, and risk possible unemployment down the road? Oh, that's another thing... Needing to keep a paycheck coming in. Annoying, isn't it? There is a certain level of income I must keep, and it's not a trivial level. I have a lot of bills to pay and a quality of life level I'd like to keep, so I can't just take on any job even if it seems like it would be something I'd love to do. I could ramble on about this incessantly!

On top of that, I'm trying to buy a home, which is a process in itself. And so far, a very long process at that. Fortunately, that will present a form of stability from a life of apartment renting - assuming I ever am able to work out a deal. To be continued on this one...

Hmm, what else? Ah yes, the big one! The relationship situation. I think Kristen could tell you that I have several volumes of material to write on this topic, so I'll try to sum it up in one sentence: It sure would be nice to not have to go on another first date. Surprise, surprise, the stability theme we've got going here strikes again.

So here I am, less than a year from age 30, and I am seemingly not very far removed from the issues a 21 or 22 year old would face. I won't go as far as Kristen did and say that I had a grand plan of perfection to follow, because I didn't. I did think I would be a bit further along than this though, in the respect that I figured I'd probably be in a solid relationship, have a solid career direction, and ultimately be progressing steadily towards some version of that cliche of an American Dream we all are brought up to know as kids. Don't get me wrong, I do think I'm making progress. I just feel like instead of a somewhat straight line of progression, I'm zigging and zagging all over the place as I move forward at a snails pace.

Okay, maybe not a snail, but at the most a desert tortoise. Tortoise are much more endearing than snails.

Cheers!