College dropouts...

+1. It's a long story but I was jumping between the "working schmuck" and "boho" paths for several years until I just up and left the "conventional life" at age 25. Not necessarily by choice either...I came close to but never got a degree, so picking up that conventional path again seemed too difficult and after some feeble attempts I just moved on and never looked back. Since that time I've had a variety of jobs, too many to list, but will say that they were all either fun, learning, or character-building experiences and I'm glad that I did them all. Do I wish I was more financially secure? Yes, but one of the things I've learned is that so do you. It is human nature to always want more and to live on that edge...the more $ you make, the more you want, the more you spend. I sold mortgages for a while and it became pretty clear to me that most (like everyone) were just a few paychecks away from losing their homes. So the reality is that, with the exception of a very few, most people do not save and will never attain "security". Do I wish I got my degree? Absolutely fricking yes because I know I missed a lot of cool opportunities without it. But I'm a very intelligent and a sometimes personable chap that has never really had problems finding work. Others might not be as lucky. Do I wish I had a career? HELL NO! I can't imagine any field of work that is interesting enough and pays enough for me to commit a majority of my life to it. It is a beautiful thing to go to work and let all of the bullshit just slide right off of you because you can walk away at any time. This is how I define freedom and it makes life not just bearable, but easy and fun. Co-workers always ask why I'm always in such a good mood, and I always wonder if I would put a bullet in my head if I was in their shoes (which I am but so not). Now I've certainly not settled for a "boho lifestyle" but I'm no Big Timer either (and that is a phrase that really annoys me for whatever reason). Which brings me to the hardest part of choosing an unconventional path like I have. I never know how to answer questions like "What do you do for a living?" and "How do you pay your bills?" and "Don't you get bored?" and it's hard to respond to people when they refer to my lack of ambition. With the exception of a couple of the early years I've not worked more than 6 months or so per year since I was 25. I was fortunate enough to get a great deal on a great house very young but was never given anything (as in I paid for my own college while I worked my full-time job). If I ever got into a "jam" I jumped into the seat of a truck for a few months or got a bartending gig or...whatever. I buy my tickets at Hot Tix or craigslist, get my clothes off of B&S, drive a 16 year old car (300ZX baby!) and spend most of my "vacations" at my own private lake...so I've made life pretty inexpensive for myself. I've also lucked into some jobs that compensate me very well for my time. As far as college goes my thoughts are that any "general" degree is complete BS as far as doing a job. It's more about showing you can commit and follow through that will open doors. If I was going to complete a degree in today's world it would be where the job prospects are...in health care or tech. Pretty much any other field leads to that $40-50K job leading to nowhere, in my experience. If my P's were paying for it, great. Otherwise I would spend my money on a trade school or just jump into the workforce. I know a lot of people my age who make a lot less money in a year than I make in 3 months and are still $30-40K in student loan debt...barely making ends meet. And Pio, with the utmost respect, most people seem to get stuck in their grind and an unchanging paradigm. My hat's off to you for being so frank and believe me, I've been through some tough times, the grass always looks greener my friend.