[snyff]

Stop complaining. Go to some local dev/tech meetups. Do some freelance work and/or hack on opensource projects. Work on your self esteem. Be more confident.

Maybe, despite living at your parents, you were the best time she had... who cares anyway, YOU are focusing on the bad stuff, look at what you have not what you don't have.

[ElongatedTowel]

The only thing on your list I know how to do would be to hack on opensource projects. Github account, pull some stuff, fix bugs.

Do employers value such work?

[snyff]

A LOT!