Is this what being an adult is all about?

The unfortunate reality of adulthood is that friends are never as close as you want them to be.

With some people, they are blessed to be surrounded by those they love, working the job that they're happy with.

I think that it's just one of those things. People pursue what they want. They don't think about what they're surrounding themselves with or what they aren't surrounding themselves with. Friends, family and the general environment are factors that are only secondary to career.

I mean is this an absolute truth? No. It isn't. However, it makes me wonder how prevalent such thinking really is. So many people move for their careers, and the successful ones will tell you it's the "best decision they ever made" because look at them now. They're living the good life.

I wonder though, why does success have to be based on how much money you make? That's what it really is, isn't it? How much money, how much prestige you can buy, how good your reputation is, how famous you are.

Is that really what life's all about?

Is that what society is telling us should be the main focus in life?

To preach otherwise is to deny the true facts of life. "Follow what you love." Bullshit, look at where it got us. We're the generation that thinks that we're somehow entitled to happiness because we followed our passions and we worked hard for it. Reality is that you can work your butt off and nothing can come of it. If you're smart about it, you position yourself in a place where you can grow, and you're lucky enough to know people that'll help you along the way, maybe you'll be that person that lectures at the hopeful faces of the future who want to be just like you.

To go against these currents that told us what kind of life to lead would be to face the crushing judgement of others, who don't understand or aren't willing to understand that everyone around us has told us to live a certain way, to desire certain things and to want a certain lifestyle when if you really think about it, may not be the right or the best way for a person to live. So what if I want to become a traveling gypsy? Is there really anything wrong with that? What, a lack of stability? Why is that so bad? Okay, I know I'm setting myself up for a terrible argument with no solid evidence behind it, but I just think that the restrictions that we've placed upon ourselves because of what is considered socially acceptable is irritating and, well, confining. It's limiting. There's so much more to life, I feel.

Bleh. I just don't like that all my closest friends live so far away from me. These are the people that I can truly be me around. I'm not yet comfortable being me here. Stupid reverse-culture shock. Stupid America too, with all it's rebellion, subversion, and ignorance.

Oh, I just need to get over it. I'm sure I will recognize America for the great country it is as I had ironically felt when I wasn't here.