Came here to say this.

No matter where you live, the people coming into adulthood now don't get to experience the world we did, and they know it. And what's worse is the unlikelihood that any of them will ever get elected federally in order to try and actually change it.

The world is now on hard mode by default.

That sucks!

I'll just leave this here

https://youtube.com/shorts/nuvR_ERiSA0

Don't feel too bad. I am old, but I made just about every incorrect decision you can and had a rather dull youth because of it.

I grew up rural (not my fault, but still sucked) in a place I did not fit in. Wrong color. I went to college, but skipped living in a dorm and went straight to apartment. Met nobody, made zero friends in two years. Did meet wife, so that's good.

Moved to different city, went to commuter college, lived off campus. In final year, started making friends, then moved away. Moved cross country, lived in small town of mostly retired people. Worked in different town. No friends for two more years. Moved to LA. Made some friends, moved again.

Moved to Pennsylvania in suburbs. Bleh.

Lesson is, live around others, don't move so much. Stay put goddammit and don't treat friendship as disposable because you know you will move again.

Living many places was kind of fun, but now I'm old and have few friends. The ones I do have all live far away, so I see them maybe every five to ten years.

Pick a place that is good, don't bail when it's not perfect and dig in. Maintain friendships.