UGGHHHHH AHHHHHHH DAMNNNNNNN…. I think it’s real….. A quarter life crisis. Surely I’m not the only one having these feelings at this stage in my life. I just turned 25 years old in March and I was doing fine. I had a decent paying job, living in Korea, having fun with friends, and then BAM… out of no where they cut my job over a month early and told me four days in advance that I would have to find a different job, another place to stay, and I would no longer be one of their employees after the long weekend. For me this was not only a shock, but a slap in the face. I had nearly finished my job contract for the year. I over came many obstacles. I did everything that they had asked me to do and that is the kind of warning they gave me. So I sub for a couple of weeks at two different schools to earn some extra money; then fly home due to the death of my mom. Back to good Ol’ America home of the free..

Only I don’t really feel free. Life has a different feeling once you come back from something you had enjoyed so much. I feel trapped in a sense. Trapped not knowing what I want to do, where I want to go, and what I want to make of my life. WHY WHY WHY… Seems like things fall into to perfect form for some people.

25 is such a weird age. There are all these preconceived ideas of what life is “supposed” to be like. You settle down, buy a house, have a kid or two, and so on. Not saying that there is anything wrong with that but why do things have to be played out like that?  You are so pressured by society to have a plan to settle down.For me that just isn’t practical right now.

So people have asked me why don’t you just get a teaching job in America then? The fact is this. MOST teachers started teaching where they want to plant roots and live for at least the next 5 years. Well I still have things I want to do, places I want to see, and I am not ready to plant my roots just yet. The fact that traveling gives you such a different perspective on life makes me want to do it so much more. If I can earn a living and travel while doing it then why the hell not? I have nothing holding me back.

Seems like all through out my 20’s I keep asking myself ” What am I going to do with my life?”

I have often heard of people going through a mid-life crisis, but that is usually in your 50-60’s. They buy a new car, or move down south, or do something completely out of the ordinary. I felt fine when I was working, but when I found out I had lost my job I hadn’t really had a plan of what I wanted to do after teaching in Korea or where I wanted to go. I knew I wanted to go somewhere else in the world, get my masters degree, and teach P.E. and Health.

Then I found out I was accepted to a  grad school in Germany so that was my plan. To come home work for 6 or 7 months and then head of to Germany….I thought getting accepted to grad school was going to be the hardest part. Little did I know it would become the easiest.. Turns out there is no tuition in Germany, but you do have to pay your cost of living. The estimated cost of living is 18,000 for two years. Now to get financial aid in America for your Masters degree can be difficult.

• You no longer get the Pell grant because that is only for your undergrad.
• Your school must accept financial aid ( Germany doesn’t since there is no tuition)
• You can apply for a loan through the bank
• You must spend the money in the country if you get another type of grant.

So after ruling out all of these options and talking to several friends about different options I had a life epiphany……It’s not feasible….and most would argue that there are cheaper ways of going about getting a masters, but to me if it’s a matter of 5-6 thousand dollars and I could go to another country to study for 2 years then why wouldn’t I just do that? Maybe my dreams are too big right now, or maybe I just have to find a different route on how to achieve them. It’s all in the way you look at things.

So like I said before I’m back to the “What am I going to do with my life?” Phase. I can’t wait to figure it out and actually enjoy what I do.

What about you? Do you think a Quarter Life Crisis is real??