I joined the military while still a senior in high school. I left for basic training literally 2 weeks after graduating. I figured it'd be something cool to experience for a few years while I figured out what to do with my life.

Turns out the benefits were too good. I ended up staying for a full 20 years before qualifying for an official retirement and pension. I retired 4 years ago, at 38 years old, and have just been sitting around my house enjoying some solid "me" time.

Every time I think about going back into the workforce, I think about all the drama the civilian sector has to deal with. In the military, everything was organized. All your rules, procedures, protocols, etc. were written down and everyone had to follow them. We were all on the same page.

The civilian sector is a bit like the Wild West compared to that structure. Not to mention, I had job security while serving. I'd sign up for 4-6 years of service at a time and I literally had to be thrown in jail before I'd get "fired" during that time. Which gave me freedom to speak my mind at work more often. In the civilian sector, I have to watch my tongue at work.

So here I am, currently 42 years old, and I still don't know what to do with my life. I'm just living each day as it comes and going with the flow, investing my time in interests and hobbies. I have plans and projects in my life, and I'm slowly working toward personal goals. But do I have my whole life mapped out? Not in the slightest. Heck, I don't even know what I'm doing next week.