[blacknwhitespade]

Looking back on my twenties, my close friends and social circle held me back from reaching greater horizons (dating, better job, more extensive travel, etc). I had to more or less wind it down and cut ties with a few of my buddies a few years ago after I realized how much they were dragging me down and we just had little in common anymore anyways. My greater circle of friends were great, really. Lots of community, security, people I could count on and be a genuine friend to as well. However, that circle prevented me from exploring other possibilities. Maybe it's my fault for not being more proactive and assertive to get out of that bubble sooner. I thought I'd achieve everything I wanted from having a solid social circle, family, a few close friends, a steady job, etc. Wrong. So, I tore most of that old circle up (actually, we sort of naturally aged-out of one another) and decided to start over. Now I am applying the lessons learned while trying to re-build my social life, hopefully wiser and more competent now, and with a more mobile/flexible circle of good friends.