Still Living at Home in My 20s.

The detours we fear having to take may be the ones leading us exactly where we need to go.

Why am I still living at home?

How did I end up back at home with my parents? Why can’t I just move out already? Sometimes, it feels like I’m running in circles—constantly wishing for something better, yet finding myself stuck in the same place.

The balancing act of living at home.

It’s funny to think about now, but I’ve spent the last 12 months living at home, venting about how much I disliked my situation. Looking back, I see how those negative feelings overshadowed everything.

The irony? It was never home or my parents that were the problem. If anything, they were the unsung heroes of this chapter—welcoming me back with open arms, despite the mood or attitude I showed up with. And that’s when it hit me.

Living at home as a young adult often feels like walking a tightrope, teetering between the desire for independence and the safety of having support. Society tells us we should “move out,” “build independence,” and “stand on our own two feet.” And yes, while these ideas hold value, I wonder—could there be a kinder way to view this stage of our lives?

Embracing the lessons of moving back home.

At 18, I moved out for university, tasting the sweetness of freedom. But freedom, as I quickly learned, comes with its own set of challenges.

After graduating, I clung desperately to the idea of staying independent. So much so that I accepted a graduate job I didn’t truly want—just to prove that I could sustain myself. I made compromises, moving into a house with leaks and creaking stairs, sharing space with five other guys, convincing myself that this was the price of independence.

But life doesn’t unfold the way we imagine, does it?

Eventually, I ended up right back where I started—at home with my parents. And for months, I treated it like a setback, refusing to see the beauty of this phase. It wasn’t until I quit my job and re-evaluated my goals that I realised something important:

Being back home wasn’t a failure. It was an opportunity to regroup, to gain perspective, and most of all, to learn balance.

Why am I still living at home in my 20s?

Living at home as an adult doesn’t mean losing independence. It means redefining it—learning how to set boundaries, respect your parents’ perspectives, and nurture your own goals within that space.

When approached this way, living at home can feel freeing, far more liberating than clinging to an idea of independence simply for the sake of it.

No timeline- no problem.

Society loves timelines: move out at 18, build a career by 25, buy a house by 30. But this way of thinking is paralysing. It keeps us locked in situations we don’t even enjoy, just so we can feel like we’re keeping up.

But here’s the truth—there is no timeline.

How can there be, when every person’s journey is unique? Life is unpredictable, and that is what makes it beautiful. When we stop clinging to rigid expectations and instead embrace the unknown, we create space for opportunities we never imagined.

Sure, the road ahead may not be clear—but isn’t that the exciting part?

The detours we fear may be the ones leading us exactly where we need to go.

If you’re living at home in your 20s, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It doesn’t mean you’re stuck.

It’s simply one chapter in your story—one that has something valuable to teach you. If you allow yourself to pause, reflect, and learn, you might realise this moment is shaping you in ways you never expected. And who knows? Maybe the detours we fear the most are the ones leading us exactly where we need to go.

Amelia X

Walking through familiar streets: Living at home in my 20s brings moments of quiet reflection.

A simple coffee break: Finding balance and appreciating the small joys while living at home.

Morning light through the window: The comforts of home, a place of pause and growth in my 20s.