All My Friends Are 'Growing Up', And I'm Just Growing Out Of Them

It seems as if people are really at that pivotal point in their lives where they are actively settling down or actively avoiding it.

Avoiding it doesn't really mean you aren't maturing; you are just doing it in your own way, on your time and at your own pace.

It's not even that you aren't happy for your friends who are choosing marriage over the dating scene; that just isn't really what you're into at the given moment.

People who you used to keep closest to you have now become distant strangers. And this isn't because one party did something wrong; your lives are just heading in two completely and utterly separate directions.

Life is all about change -- your friends change. You change, and as a result, your friendship changes and sometimes doesn't last.

It's a natural part of life to drift from people you were once closer to at an early age. If you really think about it, you wouldn't be maturing and growing up if this didn't happen.

No two people progress at the same rate, so even if you aren't close right now, life could bring you back together.

Think about how many people you've reconnected with from your past. Even if it's not super common, it can still happen.

So what does life actually look like when you're moving at a completely different pace from your friends? A little something like this...

1. All my friends are looking for a ring, and I'm doing circles around them.

2. All my friends are settling down, and I'm traveling the world.

3. All my friends want white picket fences, and I don't want boundaries.

4. All my friends are in relationships, and I'm working on the relationship with myself.

5. All my friends are collecting kids, and I'm collecting stamps on my passport.

6. All my friends have savings accounts, and I am rent-poor but experience-rich.

7. All my friends are pleasing their parents, and I'm still scaring the sh*t out of mine.

8. All my friends have mortgages, and I'm still betting on something bigger.

9. All my friends have 401Ks, and I spend all my money on experiences.

10. All my friends are looking for love, and I'm looking for adventure.

11. All my friends are working nine to five, and my clock never stops.

12. All my friends are playing it safe, and I'm playing with fire.

13. All my friends are doing what they're supposed to, and I'm doing whatever I want to.

14. All my friends have life plans, and I've thrown the map out the window.

15. All my friends are working in cubicles, and I'm living outside the box.

16. All my friends are searching for the one, and I've realized I am the one.

17. All my friends gave up on their dreams, and I'm out living mine.

18. All my friends are betting on their significant others, and I'm betting on myself.

19. All my friends are in it for the paycheck, and I'm in it for the passion.

20. All my friends work in the system; I’m trying to beat it.

21. All my friends have jobs; I’m looking for a real career.

22. All my friends live for the weekend; I live for the moment.

23. All my friends are getting talked down to, and I’m living for conversations.

24. All my friends are worrying about a plus one, and I'm still enjoying this two-for-one special.

25. All my friends are stuck on the corporate ladder, and I’m ready to climb mountains.

26. All my friends live their lives on Instagram, and I’d rather have #nofilter.

27. All my friends are sleeping in, and I’m still chasing my dreams.

28. All my friends are saying “I do,” and I’m actually doing it.

29. All my friends are on the “right path,” but I know success is about paving your own way.

30. All my friends think success is a dollar sign, but I know happiness isn’t a bank account.

31. All my friends are trying to make ends meet, and I’m just trying to meet new people.

32. All my friends are pinning their weddings, and I refuse to be pinned down.

33. All my friends are embracing being “old," and I’m always looking for something new.

34. All my friends are planning ahead; I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow.

35. All my friends are spending smart; I can't stop spending.

36. All my friends are thinking long term; I'm just thinking about what I'm doing right now.

37. All my friends are moving in, and I’m just moving on.

For more of her thoughts, humor and ridiculous opinions follow Ashley Fern on Instagram and Twitter.