Hi there,

I would be more than grateful for any kind of wisdom and thoughts anyone has on this situation – I’m turning 25 in a months time and am going through a phase where I’m really beginning to reflect upon my life and what I’ve achieved up to this point (I guess like a lot of people in their 20’s) and lately have been finding there is a brooding sense of failure and regrets that has risen from it. I may be what some call a “late bloomer” – iv spent the last 5 years “drifting” going from job to job and various courses, even apprenticeships searching for what I truly want to do with my life and only just graduated with a Diploma (Graphic Design) in December which I barely scraped through due to a few big events last yr (i found my birth father who didn’t know he had a daughter and broke up with my boyfriend of 4 years). I am now overseas living in a different country which i originally traveled to in January just for a temporary mental break/some travel experience and 7 months later I find I’m still here ..kind of floating around. Its been an incredible struggle finding consistent work here (I am currently in Australia from NZ) and after being dropped from about 7 jobs I’m now working in a little beachside cafe/takeaway shop which pays less than minimum wage and am not enjoying but I am so exhausted from continuously being in and out of work I’m trying hard to stay positive and be grateful for what i have.

I feel like its on my heart to travel, especially while i have no major commitments – I really want to backpack around Thailand and Cambodia but i feel like its taking forever to get there and at the same time I cant help but look at all my friends lives and how they’ve finished their degrees, starting their professions/earning good money etc and I start stressing about my own life – how I’m still living week to week trying to get by and haven’t even started my career yet because I’ve been so indecisive and over analyzing what path to go down. The whole time Ive been over analyzing what direction to go in I feel like I’ve wasted so much time that could’ve been used to complete a degree, have a career, savings, travel etc. I’m now at the point where i feel like i’m trying to fit ALL these things i want to do into a tiny time frame or ticking clock. I haven’t gone out of my way to get a job in the design industry as I’ve realized I need more knowledge and experience in the field so have been thinking about heading home to finish my degree but my loans already so high from the various courses I’ve started and quit that it scares me – what if i get the degree and don’t even find a good job from it or decide its not my calling. I have also started a hairdressing apprenticeship a few years ago which I love the people aspect of (helping and connecting) but cant say I’m passionate about hair and fashion. Several times I’ve considered picking it back up as its a good trade to have underneath you but again I’m reaching the age where I feel like whatever path i go down it has to be definite and final otherwise I’m going to be 30 and still working in a low wage job just to get by.

To cut it short I’m feeling a bit lost and discouraged at how fast life is passing me by and the lack of things Iv accomplished at the age I am. I’m unsure to whether I should stay in this country and keep “drifitng” just working in an every day job so i can do more travel or put a limit on my time here and head back home to finish my degree and get back to the “reality” my friends are all living. I have never been one to live to work, only to work to live but at the same time I’m scared of not living up to my fullest potential. I also seem to chase the lifestyle more than the jobs – am a surfer and have to live by the ocean for my own sanity but naturally there are not many job opportunities/careers with this lifestyle. My biggest passions are writing and art (I would love to publish a few novels one day or open an art gallery) but again I can’t start on those dreams without a career/good money.

How do you know what your inner voice or intuition is telling you and what direction you are meant to go in?? Sorry for such a long tedious ramble.

Thanks <3