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Early 20s are often pushed aside in favor of teens when considering life's hardest ages. When you're a teenager, it's supposed to be hard because you feel like an adult, but don't actually have any of an adult's rights. You're also supposed to be figuring out who you are, blah blah blah, finding your place in the world, all that shit you hear about all the time.

How about the early 20s? You fluctuate between feeling like a child and feeling completely grown up. Between thinking you are completely independent, and knowing you need others. You still have to figure out all of the same stuff you did as a teenager, but because you're out of high school, the pressure's really on. And if you're lucky enough to have parents who are willing to support you, that willingness begins to wane the moment you leave high school. One of the worst parts is that the way other people treat you is completely unpredictable. They give fuck all about how old you feel, and treat you in ways as varied as... can't think of anything right now, but it's really inconsistent. People usually respect your decisions if they think you're making the right one, but as you're still considered a sort of sub-group of adult, almost no one has any trouble contesting the things you say. No one trusts you, and why should they? There's an enormous possibility that you're going through a feeling-like-a-kid phase and should be talked out of it.

I'm not having the easiest time. I'm scared and lonely.