Did you move out yet?

I moved out into dorms three years ago. I was basically just an absentee resident at my parent's place for a year, until i got an apartment on campus at my university. I've been largely self sufficient ever since, but an unfortunate truth is that i have been laid off from two school year jobs in two years, and my school schedule makes it difficult for me to attract employers in the first place. I have thus been unable to make tuition/rent (which are the same charge during the school year) and my parents have bailed me out (i have every intention of paying them back once i have a steadier income.

My parents and i get along just fine, actually, probably better now that we're living apart. There was no real moment when i felt like i had officially moved out, and my parents agree that it has been more a process then a simple goodbye. I will have to come to terms with the fact that i will probably be moving back in soon after graduation, hopefully not for too long though.

How ya doing, buddy?

Just gonna say, if you have any sort of smarts you'll do ROTC instead of joining the military outright. You're guaranteed your college education is paid for before you even start serving, you get a monthly stipend to live off of, you're taken care of in the summer for work (get to/have to do tours), and when you do wind up serving you won't be starting on the lowest tier.

Unless you've got some really compelling reason to put off going to college I don't see why you'd ever plan on enlisting straight out of HS over ROTC. Not to mention it'll put off your service for 4 years, and hopefully by then our military obligations in the middle east will have been reduced.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I left my parents at 17 because it was time to go to college and we weren't technically supposed to be in the country. <.<

... so I went back to my country of citizenship, got a job, went to college, six years later I'm about to graduate with a Master's degree and have visited them four times.

It's not that I don't like them, we actually got along pretty well, it's just that I couldn't legally get a job while living with them and I was ready to move on with my life. Now visiting them costs about $1000 in airfare and when you're a working student that's a big pile of money.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Hydra

I left my parents at 17 because it was time to go to college and we weren't technically supposed to be in the country. <.<

... so I went back to my country of citizenship, got a job, went to college, six years later I'm about to graduate with a Master's degree and have visited them four times.

If you don't mind me asking, what was your country of citizenship and where'd you go to school?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Still at home. I pay half the electric and water, though--which due to the place being old as balls costs $220. Still not bad for a roof over my head and all. It's not so bad sharing a house with my grandma--who raised me. It makes her feel safer since otherwise she'd be there alone. Plus, on the money I make now I couldn't make it solo.

So yeah, at home, saving money and making sure my grandma doesn't try to enact any LifeAlert commercials.

FELIPE NO

I moved away to another city, "far away" from parents. That was after our equivalent of "high school" (closer to German Abitur or French Lysée, though). I started my studies in a university, living in a dormitory of sorts, in a cell housing building, in the student village of the university. I lived my first six months without my parents with an exchange student from Italy as my roommate, so that was quite a change from the past. He was rather nice, though, and we learnt to live together, alone, far away from home.

After that half a year I did my army and went back to live with my parents for the rest of the year. Then it was time to go back to uni. Back into the cell housing, this time into an apartment of 3 with a German and a guy from Lapland. Fairly interesting, until they moved away after about a year. They got replaced by not-so-cool WoW players and social retards, so I decided to move away, this time into my own apartment.

Then I went onto ERASMUS, an exchange program which I did in Czech Republic. I guess I was trying new things all the time, now living alone abroad for a while. Now I'm back at my home uni living in a solo apartment.

The frequency I visit my folks has been steadily decreasing over the years. Now they don't expect me home every weekend like in the beginning. I usually visit them whenever there's a concert at my home town I'm playing in.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I'm 34 and still live at home. I feel horrible about it and I understand the disapproving glares I receive from time to time.

My situation is fairly unique, though. I was born with a rather problematic illness - cystic fibrosis. It causes the progressive decay of the lungs, primarily, among other lesser issues. My adolescence and adulthood have been marked by extended hospital stays. It is difficult to maintain a serious job and earn steady income if you're taking a 2-3 week sick leave every other month.

I've worked part-time at a supermarket for the past decade and while it's enough to cover a lot of the basics, it doesn't provide me much extra, such as the initial expense of moving and acquiring what one needs for a functional apartment and monthly rent with utilities. My dad has allowed me to remain here this whole time, understanding that I'm between a rock and a hard place. I think this grace has less to do with concern for me as much as it is assuaging the guilt he feels toward himself for having the genes that contributed to my condition. But his patience has been growing extremely thin lately; despite my best efforts to keep out of the way, pitch in with chores and not cause problems, I know with no uncertainty that I'm no longer wanted here.

I'm not using my condition as a crutch, however. I was forced to for a time but now that I've received a new set of lungs, I am physically capable of forging out into the world. I don't have much income but I'll figure something out. Though transplant-related issues may arise, I'm no longer stuck in the rut of being hospitalized for days on end, 3-5 times a year.

I'm going back to college, something I failed to complete on two other occasions due to sudden and prolonged bouts of illness that caused me to miss too much class time. However, instead of going to school locally and remaining in this house, I'm moving to Pittsburgh and will be residing in a dorm. Is it moving out? Kinda. It's not a complete progression to renting or owning a home but it's definitely a step forward, one I've been unable to make until now. It's going to be a long process for me since I'm going for three degrees (Take that, Deni!) but in the end, it'll be worth it. A guy can do a lot with degrees in gourmet cooking, business management, nutrition, and a life saturated with plenty of graphic design and marketing experience. Add my writing ability to the pile and I'm a sound investment for the future.

I'm kind of a late bloomer, definitely. But I think the dorm experience will be good for me, even at 34. Freed from the manipulations of family and friends who place unrealistic demands upon my personality, I can rather let loose and just enjoy myself.

I only have a couple months left here at home. I'm practically counting the days.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Crash Landon

I'm kind of a late bloomer, definitely. But I think the dorm experience will be good for me, even at 34. Freed from the manipulations of family and friends who place unrealistic demands upon my personality, I can rather let loose and just enjoy myself.

How does that work, considering your age? Do they put you in with the 18-21 year olds, or do they have housing for older students?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by nuttyturnip

How does that work, considering your age? Do they put you in with the 18-21 year olds, or do they have housing for older students?

Or rather did he request for a single?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I have requested a single, not for the age differences cited above, but rather for infectious control. Being now immuno-suppressed, I do not need a roommate or several roommates coming down with flus, or worse, and passing them to me. Quarters in a dormitory can be rather cramped, as is, and it's rather important that I reduce the risk of disease as much as possible.

They seem pretty willing to fill this request, so yay.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Well, I actually just flew the nest a couple weeks ago. About bloody time, too.
See, I had always planned on moving out BEFORE I turned 21, since I personally would be ashamed to end up nearing my 30s and still be living with my parents.
However, I only got out this year, and I'll be 22 next month. Meh, close enough.
Living with my girlfriend in a single-bedroom apartment in the province's capital city, working, and going to school in the fall.
I've got quite the year ahead of me.

Still get along with my parents, though. I know, they'd be disappointed if I end up returning home in two months or so, but if I absolutely had to, I'd be able to move back in no problem.
However, I'm confident about this arrangement, though. No problems so far.

Well, moving everything in wasn't fun. The apartment is TINY.

How ya doing, buddy?

I currently live in a 2 Bed 1 Bath apartment with another roommate. She's my boyfriend's buddy's girlfriend, so we knew each other before we moved in together, but weren't particularly close friends. It's been 3 months since we moved in together and I'm absolutely LOVING it. She's hands down, the best roommate, EVER. It's nice moving in with someone you know comfortably but not best friends with. I'm a firm believer that best friends do not equal good roommates, but good roomates always have room to develop close friendships.

I'm especially in love with the fact that I can afford to pay rent without putting an advance on my paycheck from paycheck to paycheck or going into debt with student loans to do so.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I moved out when I went to uni, when I was 18. My first year was in uni accommodation then moved back home over the summer. Then when my second year started I moved out again with some friends and then from then moved into a flat with my fella, then a house where I've been for 7months, the longest I've lived in one place without moving lol.

My parents have kept my room exactly the same as how I left it except instead of a double high sleeper I know have a normal double bed and less books and stuff (because their with me) but essentially still the same, which is good for when I visit home it makes it feel like I'm a kid again

FELIPE NO

I'm 25 and my girlfriend and I both live in the house with my dad. We pay rent and do most of the menial house tasks to live here and it seems to suit us all fine. We buy our own food and other essentials and he's really more of a roommate. Also he occasionally likes to smoke my weed and would be deathly alone if we left, so I think we have a pretty good deal going at the moment.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?