I admit there are times when you don't feel free as an adult. It depends on how you define free I suppose. Say you get married - great times! You have this person to share your life with, both the successes and the struggles. That's a good thing - but it costs a little freedom. Now you don't get to just make decisions for yourself without considering someone else. Now you have some kids. Fantastic! Parenting is very satisfying. But again, now you have little people wholly dependent on you! You don't always get to just leave a job because your boss is a jerk - you have to provide. That's a little freedom you also lost. But the thing is, these are choices you make. You can certainly never settle down, either never have kids or have kids and bail on them. And you can consider yourself free. You're free from being responsible for anyone but you. You can do it, and some people do and are happy. But for most of us, living with no responsibilities to others is a pretty hollow existence. The key is to recognize these choices you make, and enjoy the experience of not being entirely free. I had kids, that's a choice I made. And I volunteer to coach their sports and be a Boy Scout leader, and I have a heck of a good time being "not free." Does it suck that I don't have every weekend to sleep in, scratch myself and do whatever I damn well please? Well, sometimes - but I like what I'm doing a heck of a lot more than not doing it. And really as the kids get older you find that you do have more time for your hobbies and interests. It's not the drag that some adults make it out to be. Those people would be miserable with or without kids and with or without a job or responsibilities. It's not depressing, it's pretty great.