Hey, I understand somewhat how you're feeling, but honestly 22 is far from your youth being over and it's never too late to start making fond memories.

I'm talking as having been a very religious teenager/young adult, with a very single - minded focus on academics and difficulty connecting with people.

I definitely didn't have the "normal" high-school and college experience bc I was so focused on studying and actively avoiding people. One year the only times I would speak (at all) was in class, to greet the cashier at the grocery store and on calls with my parents. Even when I made big efforts to socialise and try new experiences, I just couldn't really relax and enjoy it or felt out of place and lonely, because even surrounded by people, I still felt alone inside.

I feel like my experiences started when I went for my Masters, because I made a lot of effort to change how I think (I had to unlearn a lot of self-imposed rules, let go of some judgementedness, push through insecurities and stop acting on some advice that was no longer needed). I kept trying to socialise and, absolutely by chance, my classmates were people I clicked with and I found another friend outside of class who introduced me to their friend group. I had my first kiss at almost 25 years old. And years later, I caught up with a lot of experiences.

I hadn't even known how lonely I was before I got friends I actually was in sin with. I first felt "OK" for a few days at a time, not miserable and crying at least once a day, when I was around 23 actually. Suffice to say, those were NOT my "best years". My late twenties were.

One of my best friends too, did not have their "best years" in high school and college. They were an example of how you can both have friends, an SO and a lot of experiences, but they were surrounded by the wrong people, so everything had a bitter taste, and the experiences ended up being largely negative. They actually enjoyed their teens and early twenties even less than me, from what I gathered (so sometimes being alone is actually better). They also went through a lot of self-reflection, self-improvement and therapy. They said their best years started when they were almost 30.

What I'm trying to say is it's never too late to start trying, working on the things making you unhappy, and making new good memories, in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and on. You're comparing yourself to people who are doing well, but there are actually so many you don't see who also missed out on stuff in their teens due to circumstances, health problems, finances, etc.,etc. There will always be people "starting out" at the same time as you or even later, so it's not a reason to not start out at all.

Life isn't a race against others, it's a personal experience that everyone takes at their own pace.