Freebase Dali

I'd guess that's to be expected though, I mean, I was 18 when I left home... that's probably normal for a lot of people in the states. Maybe not so much now days with the economy like it is, but I don't think it's out of the ordinary.
Being an 18 year old, you generally don't really know much about yourself and your long term goals, so my natural goal was to "vacation" from my previous life of being under the rule of parents. That can last a lot longer than you expect it to... It did in my case, and it was a rough couple years bouncing from place to place with only the desire to party. A lot of wasted time, but I'm glad I did it early enough to get sick of it in time.
When I figured out I needed to be doing something for myself, my oldest sister & brother-in-law took me in to their home in Florida and got me on my feet. Got a job, car and an apartment and did that for a couple years.
That was the learning experience though... supporting yourself with no one to fall back on. It just got to the point where I knew that if I didn't actively do something, I'd be stuck on the low end forever.
The decision to join the military was specifically for me to learn a trade for free (the one I'm currently getting a degree for) and get some sense kicked into me. Some discipline.
Best decision I ever made. I don't really know where I'd be if I hadn't decided to make it.

It just seems to me that it's a common story. Most of the people I knew in the military had similar ones, and the kids I hung out with prior to that were in the same boat as me. I guess I just kinda assumed most people's lives ran a similar course when they were young. To me, it seemed like getting wise was something everyone did by experience, trial & error... and I look at it as one big episode but with varying landmarks.