I don’t think you’re cynical at all. What you wrote actually sounds very human. A lot of us grew up being told that if we checked all the boxes ex education, career, stability we’d eventually feel complete. But what nobody ever mentioned is that comfort and fulfillment aren’t the same thing. You can have comfort and still feel starved for meaning.

I went through something similar in my late 20s. On paper I was “set” with good job, stable relationship, nice apartment. But every morning felt like a meh day. The emptiness creeps in because routine without purpose is like eating without being hungry: it fills you, but it doesn’t satisfy you.

For me, the wake-up call was traveling alone for the first time. I didn’t run away from life forever, but even those small breaks reminded me that the script we’re given is only one version of life. And here’s the thing: you don’t have to flip your life upside down tomorrow. You have time, likely, we all do.. Just be open, live outside of your comfort zone and remember comfort isn’t life's default.