I've been thinking about it, and my life didn't begin until 20. I was in a relationship all through high school, and by the end something that used to be a source of joy was nearly driving me to suicide. We went our separate ways early this year, then I hit 20 in July.
That said, here's my life right now:
-Single. Not as bad as I remember, won't die a virgin, don't feel bad about anything I do or anyone I look at.
-New car. Making payments and feeling like a true adult.
-Credit Card. Yes, I know how to use it responsibly, I keep a $0 balance and my credit's going up. Bolstered by the car payments.
-Friends. This is the big one, for the longest time I only had her friends around. I lost track of people who made me truly happy, for the sake of sex that got more mediocre over time. I'm having a blast, and I have people around me who form my support network. I probably couldn't kill myself successfully now, even if I wanted to.
-Family. This one's coincidental, but my extended family finally moved to California. Everyone's here, and I'm old enough to appreciate and assist the adult members of my family. It's actually good to see them.
-Job. I love my job. It's not flipping burgers or warehouse work like most people my age. It's the beginning of a career, and they're totally willing to work around my school schedule.
-School. Probably my greatest source of stress, but I'm really making progress toward a degree.
-Activities. Now that I'm not spending money on her, gifts, and gas to go see her, I've got tons of extra spending cash to go hang out with friends. We visit surrounding cities, go see movies, hang out at each others' houses, see shows, eat and drink, and generally just enjoy life.
-STRIPPERS, OH YES, MORE STRIPPERS!
A month or two after I became single, I started getting over the sad part of the breakup. I reached out to my "cousin", more like a life-long friend, and met up with him again. He introduced me to a friend of his, and the three of us went to a stripclub. Best night of my life, it was a complete disaster and we laugh about it to this day. Cleaned out my bank account, and did something so stupid that I can't even regret it because it was so much fun.
A few weeks later, we discovered a nearby club that's really nice. Two stages, fancy seating, beautiful girls. The poles go up into the ceiling so the girls can slide down like firefighters to start their dance.
We went on my birthday, and they put me up on stage. Every girl working that night gave me a free dance, then they stole my button-up shirt and tied it high up on the pole. I had to dance and climb the pole to get it back.
Then, the next time we went, I actually saw a girl I had a crush on in high school. I'd completely changed my look by this point. I look older, tougher, and I've got a bit more confidence from just not caring anymore. I walked right up to her, tipped her as she did her stage show. She laughed, I laughed, and afterwards I got a dance from her. I knew about her tattoos, plus I knew a few of the meanings from random conversation in high school. She was impressed that I remembered her, and that I could identify the chemical formula for serotonin on her forearm. We spent more time talking than anything else, and we hung out for most of the night. Walked out of there with her phone number and one of my teenage dreams come true.
So that's that. Life's good, and I'm taking it a day at a time. I don't get nearly enough sleep, but that's pretty much how life at 20 is. I'm not worried about things anymore, just enjoying what comes my way.
Oh, and it's a great time for games! I played Outlast, I've got Total War: Rome II, Warframe is getting updates and events regularly, Hawken and Mechwarrior Online are giving me my mech fix, and my little brother can join me in Planetary Annihilation in a month or so when the beta hits. Steam Greenlight, Crowdfunding, F2P, Kickstarter and Humble Bundle are all hitting their stride in 2013, keeping me stocked with great games for those quiet moments when I'm not working, studying, hanging with friends or blowing money on strippers.
And, if all goes well, I may finance a Harley-Davidson in the next few years. Southern California is great for it, because so many older guys go out and buy nice bikes, only to have their wife tell them "No". Whatever obstacle comes up and forces them to sell, there's never a shortage of guys willing to sell beautiful, top notch bikes with barely any miles for way below dealer prices. They'll even thrown in the gear most times because they have no use for it once you take the bike.
