| Yeah, I went through similar, interspersed with small bouts of university and some travel. Until my late 20's, I worked in construction, kitchens, call centers, hotels, saw mills and more. I wouldn't worry about the 'laziness' bit, I think most people are like that and it sounds like you've provided for yourself. I ended up getting a 2 year diploma in computer science (BCIT if it's relevant to you. I was happy with the program, but some folks didn't have as good of results). For a long time, no jobs etc.. really stuck, nor did university the first time I tried. A 2 year program was good, because it didn't require as long of a time commitment to get something out of it. This one also had the option to do another 2 years (either right away or later) to finish the degree. I'm in my second job since school now. I've never found something where I feel "joy" at work, but I'm very happy with the most recent one. Most jobs are annoying a lot of the time I think. Money and future prospects are much better than my random jobs earlier in life. I changed cities when I went to school even though I could have found similar programs in my home town. The change of scenery was helpful I think. I guess I have 3 main takeaways: - I don't think you need to feel like something is a perfect fit/joy. Good enough is OK. - Don't worry about having "wasted" years. I think life experience counts for a lot and a diverse background can be a strength. - I never did in my late 20's or early 30's, but I think about retirement money a lot more now. People how started careers earlier and were smart with their $ have a big advantage over latercomers. |