Becoming an adult is one of the best times in a young person’s life for one reason: freedom. When you’re a kid, you are afforded very few freedoms. You cannot go wherever you want to go or do whatever you want to do. You must be home when your parents want you home, adhere to their rules, and be happy about it. Although that’s an understandable hierarchical situation in hindsight, it doesn’t make it any less of a bummer for the kid. 

When I first left home, I was emboldened by my new freedom and did an activity every night of the week. That got a little less sustainable as I got older, but it’s so nice to be able to make your own choices about where you go and what you do without anyone constantly checking up on you and making sure you get home at a very specific time.