I'm at my quarter-life-, what-do-i-want-for-a-midlife crisis stage. I'm in my mid-twenties, moved to San Francisco a little bit more than a year ago (have loved every minute of it). I'm also early in my career doing something I am passionate about but work, for me, has been a way to do the things that make me earn life experiences; I predominantly get this by doing a lot of things outdoors so I am very active but I also love to consume art as well be that through reading, watching, or listening.

Peaceful, content, and exciting. It surprises me daily that my life is this way because there was a point 2-3 years ago where I wouldn't have imagined life would ever be good to me. I'm extremely grateful for where I am today. I have a couple close friends with whom I do a lot of activities but I mostly do things by myself (I enjoy them very much) — things like picking a neighborhood and zigzagging through it to explore. I haven't made many new friends since moving to the city because I just end up doing things by myself but I want to break that and try to go out of my comfort zone, hoping this happens through AroundTheCorner because meeting new people, and making new friendships is a life experience I struggle to earn.

3 o'clock tea time. It is a sacred time, a non-negotiable that I look forward to daily. Making tea, while singing along to my tea time playlist with the sun shining through my windows and the breeze playing with my curtains is a sight I will never get tired of. Along with this, I also have reading time, gaming time, and exploration time. Each meaningful and special to me its own way.

Not losing the wonder with which I saw the world as a kid. Do you remember how the grass, wind, sun, clouds and everything else, small and big, (even the gray of the walls) awed you as a kid? I think we get caught up in life and stop appreciating all that after a point. I live slow, to relearn the wonder and curiosity I inadvertently put aside. I love to travel (currently planning my first solo trip to Costa Rica!), taking photos, and looking with awe at everything this fabulous pale blue dot has to offer.

A travelogue called "Cyclettes". It's about all the cycles the author has owned and the impact each one of them had on them. My cycle, and cycling in general, is something I hold dear because it was how I was first able to express my freedom. I always heard "freedom", and "free" as a kid but never really expressed it or experienced it's meaning until I started cycling. This travelogue/memoir caught my eye immediately because I could relate to it in a lot of ways.

Not where I wanna be. Not where I ever imagined, both in good and not-so-good ways. I’ve just hit midlife (yikes!) and still not married (no partner either) and no kids. I’ve never desired having kids but have always wanted to be married. Unfortunately fate/karma had/has other plans for me, it seems. So here I am! Seeking a new chapter of MEANINGFUL friendships!

All in all, I’m lucky in a lot of ways. It’s easy to complain about things not going my way, esp seeing everyone around me having what I want. But I have a roof over my head, can afford the necessities (food, clothes), and some luxuries. I have a job that allows me to afford my life, to which, I am grateful, even though there are parts of the job that aren’t ideal. I have more text friends than actual friends I meet up with regularly. I hope to start a new chapter here, making new connections in an unexpected way!

A good hearty catch up with friends over either a home cooked meal or a nice restaurant, followed by a glass of wine.

Most imp to me is finding something, anything that keeps me living. Not in the physical sense but emotionally/internally. I want to find that zest for life through friendships. I may never find a partner but friendships are a necessity. I want to find people who enjoy different activities; things that I like and things I’ve never tried and want to. I do love learning as well so all the better if I can learn from newfound friendships and equally share my knowledge as well!

I wouldn’t say this is interesting but I recently have been into library book sales and am trying to read more. Granted, I still can only read fiction, as I use them to mentally escape reality, I’ve grabbed the occasional non-fiction!

I’m a 26 year old originally from SoCal living in the Bay. I am enrolled in online grad school full time with a full time job as well, hoping to transition into another field a bit. I have very little free time but want to maximize time for my hobbies and meeting new genuine people as my most of my close friends live far or are moving away!

Life is unpredictable. There are good, bad, sad, stressful, etc. Currently somewhat lonely, looking for more adventure and friends to enjoy it with. Transition periods are always overwhelming, but I make the most of my days :)

I recently have been into Pilates & Yoga which helps keep me grounded. I am a home body, but I do crave a change of routine often. I enjoy playing on my switch, going to concerts, movies, dancing, painting (though I’m not so good), and reading. I like trying new things and I am open to different activities.

First, finishing grad school and reaching my career goals. I also want to be more physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy.

How hard it is to make friends as an adult! lol

Late 20s!

I recently got affected by back-to-back tech job layoffs in the past 2 years, along with loss of a friend to cancer. The pandemic took a large toll out of who I was so I have been spending the last however long trying to go back to "normal" (whatever normal is in this time). One thing though - I am trying to say 'yes' to more things.

Mentally, the best it has been in a while. I am taking some time off from drinking, "recreational fun" and eating junk which has made things a lot better. Regular exercise has been important but also taking some breaks is also important.

I spent winter of this year heavily socializing but looking forward to traveling more as well as getting a stable job so I can accomplish more of my long and short term goals.

Both a mixture of alone time & time with friends and family. I burn out from one or the other but having a balance is very important.

I blow off steam by myself by going to the gym a few times a week, being a really big foodie (say no to chain restaurants!), playing games & watching my curated interests on Youtube. When I'm around friends we are usually eating (HAHA), going to concerts, and enjoying what the bay has to offer.

Stability, Peace & Routine

Life is a lot better when you are not constantly stressing and managing your stress well. Worrying about the future & past does nothing to help you in the present.

I just turned 30 recently and moved to this city from a far away, northern land. I feel deeply entrenched in my work life but desperate to experience what this city's soul is really like. I'm a little confused and conflicted, determined but directionless, and cold-footed yet brave. In a mid-season and sitcom-y fashion I'm redefining myself a little. Trying a bit of everything right now.

Unnecessarily filled with busywork and endless comparisons. It lacks a bit of grounding but generally by all conventional metrics it's pretty good. I'm technically in a good place but there's a lopsided balance skewing towards work right now. I travel a lot and meet great people, I get to try a lot of new things that are fun and weird, and I have time in the mornings to make french omelettes. I plan silly things with equally silly people and it keeps me happy.

Finding the time to laugh, keeping up with old friends, and diving into new, random hobbies. For example I had a niche perfumery phase just recently and am on the cusp of entering my 'building model kits' phase. I also take long walks and go to smaller venue rave shows where I can headbang and lose myself in the music a little. During bad weeks I'll be tied to the couch binge watching TV and eating salty foods. I need places to be anonymous sometimes so I can fade into the background comfortably.

Defining things. I don't like that it's what's most important to me right now, but it's just what I keep coming back to. I recently also had a revived appreciation for my family and relationships so I've been thinking more long term in terms of how I want my life to look. Otherwise, I think unapologetic authenticity is what I'm trying to strive towards. I would very much like that.

The National Havoc Robot League (NHRL) hosts an annual world championship in Norwalk, CT and tickets are actually pretty reasonably priced.

Early/soon-to-be-mid 20s, and moved to the city a little under a year ago after graduation. A good number of my close friends stayed in the area as well, great for an initial base of social life but also causing me to find myself not exploring socially as much as I could. I've been trying to figure out how to define life for myself post-graduation - the routines that keep me sane, and how to break those up to keep things interesting.

Pretty good. I enjoy my work and am pretty satisfied with my social life even as I learn to explore more socially and find my footing in the city.

Lifting, drawing, reading, cooking when I have the time, and existing around others

Developing and defining my social life further

I started sketching somewhat consistently a few weeks back, without any real knowledge/practice previously. Didn't realize that I'd end up with a fairly consistent style after just a few days of doing it, despite it not being something i know how to describe still

Mid-30s, pretty settled in my career, and have a fantastic community of friends and family in and outside of the Bay. I'm single, searching for a long-term partner, and am looking to expand my circle/community (in all ways!).

Zooming out, it's pretty good! Sometimes I feel like a kid still, just with more money and responsibilities. I never thought I'd laugh this much as an adult!

I'm quite happy with my day to day life, but when I'm 80 and reflecting on my life, I want to feel fulfilled and content and like I squeezed a lot of love, meaning, gratitude, purpose, and memories into it. So I'm always looking for ways to add more of those things!

Being outside, hiking, cycling, beach volleyball; croissants, berries, pizza, sushi, dark roast coffee; tall mountains + glacial lakes; traveling; finding great bakeries in small little towns; a heavy dose of laughing with friends and family balanced with a few minutes of introvert time per day

Spending meaningful time with family and friends while developing new connections and relationships, including finding a long-term partner.

Seeing the outdoors and exploring new places.

Understanding myself and understanding others. Continuous self-reflection and growth.

I still can't wrap my head around how large the number 52! is (the number of unique ways you can shuffle a deck of cards)