People who are in their late 20's+, what are some things you regret not doing more of in your teens/20's?

Question

I am 26 yo currently.

I had what I consider to be an almost perfect childhood - the almost will always exist and also serves to keep life interesting and fun along the way. Filled with frugelness, appreciation for the cool toys I do have, loving friends and was fairly popular in school and had a lot of fun with everyone.

People who are in their late 20s+, what are some things you regret not doing more of in your teens/20s?

But around the time I was 13/14 I feel like I was always going through life as a second rate version of my true self. Never quite as fit as I wished I chose to be earlier, grades were mostly phenomenal, and I was on band and a few D1 varsity teams throughout the year - but I cut back in grade 12 as I was feeling burned out and regretful at not having more freetime to relax and just enjoy being a teenager with friends after school, doritos and video games with my mates - and very glad I did.

I feel like with some aspects of life, that balance is the best path to achieve the most happiness long term overall. I wished I had gone to some more parties in high school and got laid a lot sooner and far more often than I did in university. I went to prom with my dream girl, but missed out on dating a girl I loved a lot in grade 11 who I knew liked me back. By the time I wanted to get the courage to ask her out someone else already had. Those are some of mine.

1) What are some things you wish you had done more of/avoided doing in your late teens/20's?

2) What advice would you share with others to strive to do in their late teens/20's to minimize regret and maximize happiness with balance across both the short and the long term?

3) Folks who already own their own homes - do you wish you went on a vacation or two in your 20s down south and rent longer - or is it best to save up a down payment first? I am trying to save for both right now but will likely only have the funds to do one or the other in my 20's/early 30s, and do the other later, or smaller vacations first in the 20's maybe.

EmyyWolf · Accepted Answer

Mines are kind of like yours. I had PCOS, a condition of the ovaries that causes me to be fat. Very difficult to lose weight and can gain weight easily. Very much like a curse. Was overweight from the moment I stepped into school to the moment I left. Because of my condition I was bullied a lot, outcasted a lot. I never experienced the first kiss or first boyfriend.

All my female friends my age were getting laid in their teens and I was masturbating because I had nobody that would even look at me. I would have to hang out with the Christian church girls because I didn’t want to feel left out. Even though I wasn’t very religious myself. I was always having to hang out with the minorities and the outcasts in school.

I was bullied continuously throughout school. Through ever grade that I went through. I didn’t have to do shT to anyone. People saw me as a target.

“ I wished I had gone to some more parties in high school and got laid a lot sooner and far more often than I did in university ”

I can relate to this 100%. With PCOS my sex drive was off the roof. Kind of like a guy. I was so timid, and so outcasted that I feel like I missed out a lot. A whole lot. I believe there were some decent or cool guys that must’ve liked me back by grade 12. The last year. Graduation year. But by then, I was so traumatized by all the bullying.. that I took it as more bullying. By that time I just accepted that I’m undesirable for life.

I finally did a lot of work and took meds to fight my PCOS by age 21. I lost almost all the weight. And for the first time I was attractive. I decided I have to fight my fears and I lost my virginity to a tinder date. Only because I needed to do something about my lack of experience. I needed to remove that fear on my own.

😢

—————

I guess some of the stuff I went through helped me to become a more tough/ stronger person. I do carry a lot of trauma to this day. I’m 25 now. I have super good memory, I can remember in detail all my encounters in life.

I’m glad I wasn’t catching STDS like some of those kids. Getting pregnant too early as a minor like some of those kids. I’m glad i wasn’t cheated on and experiencing heart break like some of those kids. But then again; I still don’t know what a healthy relationship with a man is like. I fear men a lot still. I was being bullied by both sexes.

The only relationship I’ve had was from a SEX-FRIEND form work. But that was just a FRIEND WITH BENEFITS I stayed with for 3 years. Me missing out, me being an outcast made me resent people who were sexually active as minors. When I finally experienced a man I became very sex crazy and was hooking up a lot. I only hooked up for 1 year though because I realized that if I hookup, the. I’m always gonna need to get blood tested for STDS over and over and over. So I just said SCREW THAT. 💉💉🩸🩸

I can only hope the kids in HighSchool got pregnant, caught diseases, caught everything in the book. I can only hope. 🖕

DizzyDesii · Accepted Answer

#1 Wish i went ahead and had a child (even if by way of donor/invitro) while I was still in my early 20s. Im interested in men very close in age but they aren't ready for kids. And if they are, i feel we need to date 2-3 years before marrying and having a kid. So all of this needed to happen in my early 20s. I tried to make it happen but i chose the wrong suitors. I wish i had avoided college and gone to trade school instead. I wanted film or architectural drafting but i wasn't going to change cities nor risk my GPA with the maths required, so i went the “safe” regrettable route of a major that I thought could guarantee me a job but still didn't since I didn't have the experience to match. So another thing I wouldve done is started working during the summers in between college instead of waiting til after college. Lastly, I would’ve saved sex til marriage like i initially wanted
#2 Save themselves for marriage. Go to trade school. Have kids young. Work during the summers that school is out. #3 Although i dont own a home, i have no choice but to save because i refuse to buy a house that someones already lived in. I want to build a home

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I don't regret anything. I'm financial independent and have a simple, loving women by my side to live life with. Was it all good? I use to think it would have been nice to go to college and have sex with a whole bunch of girls but I'm glad I didn't. Being so alone is what allowed me to think for myself and not become like everyone else. The lack of sex, even though I could have obviously regardless of college, gave me time to understand things that I needed to understand before ever having sex/dating. My life is great solely because I was so alone. Now it's great. I wouldn't change a thing.

Jamie05rhs · Accepted Answer

Man, I should have snowboarded more. You only have one life. And you only have your youth once. I'm grateful for the shreds that I did get in, though.

jennifer_bloom · Answer

I regret not staying in touch with my high school friends. And I regret not giving people a chance to be my friend when they tried to be my friend. I had trust issues and I rejected a lot of people out of my fear they would let me down if I gave them an opportunity to be my friend.

XHopelessRomanticX · Answer

I wish I had been more involved in sports or after school curricula. I regret not being more outgoing and not taking care of myself physically.

AngryCarl2 · Answer

I regret suffering from crippling anxiety. And not telling more people to go fuck themselves. lol

Dnice1 · Answer

There are some things I regret like having sex before marriage. Namely because I got caught by my parents and because the guy was a jerk. It was also my first time.

Anonymous · Answer

Just opportunities I should have taken. My ex wife was cheating on me and I had the opportunity to f*ck our babysitter but I stayed loyal.

Amur8711 · Answer

Not taking my passion more seriously. Turning it into a possible way of income.

Oldschool1981 · Answer

dating. i missed out on so much

People who are in their late 20's+, what are some things you regret not doing more of in your teens/20's?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

People who are in their late 20's+, what are some things you regret not doing more of in your teens/20's?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

We're glad to see you liked this post.