When the Path Disappears

One of my friends texted me the other day, looking for support as he navigates a new chapter of life. At one point he wrote, “I feel so lost.”

As much as I wish this was a rare sentiment, I’d be lying if I said it was. In fact, I’ve heard those exact words from at least five different friends in the past few months.

And truthfully, it makes sense. This feeling of disorientation is almost inevitable in your twenties. For much of our lives, it’s easy to place ourselves among our peers. You celebrate the same birthdays, move together through middle school and high school, and follow the same milestones laid out before you. There’s a map, and whether or not you think about where you’re going, you’re at least moving in the same direction as everyone else.

For some, that structure fades after high school. For others, college buys another four years of a parallel path—moving at the same pace, on the same timeline, even if the details differ. Yes, there are opportunities to diverge—choosing a different major, quitting sports, taking advanced classes—but for the most part, we’re still moving in sync with those around us.

Then suddenly, it stops. The years right out of college can feel like being dropped into an episode of Naked and Afraid. One moment you’re surrounded by structure; the next, you’re in the wilderness with little more than a knife and a water bottle, told to “figure it out.” The absence of a clear path is jarring, and for many, disorienting.

But here’s what I’ve come to realize: being uncertain about where to go next does not mean you’re lost. It means you’re navigating. Trying something new and not enjoying it doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it means you’ve gathered information, gently steering yourself closer to what lights you up. Each misstep is not a setback but a signal, nudging you toward a deeper understanding of who you are.

It may sound cliché, even a little idealistic, but when you truly embrace this perspective, something shifts. You stop measuring yourself against others and instead start trusting the unfolding of your own journey. Life is not rushing past you—it is within you, waiting to be lived in each moment, no matter how confusing or uncomfortable it may be. Life and love are present within every stage, every day, every moment.

So if you, too, feel “lost” right now, take heart. You’re not behind, and you’re certainly not broken. You’re learning to walk your own path without a map—or maybe you’re rewriting one you were once handed after realizing it no longer leads where you want to go. And maybe that’s the point of this chapter: not to keep pace with anyone else, but to trust that step by step, you are finding your own way forward.

GOOD VIBES ONLYYYYYY

Kenzie <3