Ask HN: How do you deal with getting old and feeling lost?

The $500k in savings means that you actually have the option to step off the corporate treadmill and consider what else you want to do with your life if you so desire. Even if it won't be enough in San Francisco, it might be enough to live off of in Mexico or in some less central city or state. You could also invest the money, though with market valuations and economic outlooks being what they are, this is admittedly an exceptionally scary time to be investing. Even so, this might be something to consider further down the line.

Economics aside, it seems like part of the problem is that many people your age already have families, and you're now unsure how to make friends who are your age. One thing you could do is seek out people in a similar situation to go to the festivals with, or to go to bars with, or on trips. And if you should happen to meet a bunch of 20-somethings who want to get to know a 35-year-old, then why not?

Either way, you should probably ditch the idea that opportunities are somehow unavailable to you, and instead focus on how you're ready to move on to a new stage of your life. Whether that stage will involve career changes or travelling or moving or anything else will have to be your decision, but it sounds from what you're saying like it may involve building new friendships.

Recently. Also, subtract inflation, which has been uncommonly low in recent years.

I don't doubt that social life is important even for introverted people, but this advice[1] in particular would be quite painful for me, even if it's in a small group. The hitrate (micromarriage rate) would be too small. Wouldn't it just be a few hours of small talk 95% of the time?

I am happy with a small handful of friends. If I'm going to add new ones, there has to be a significant overlap in interests that makes the company particularly enjoyable and non-draining. Probably a more interest-specific/targeted approach than Meetup (although maybe Meetup is capable of that, I am not familiar with it)?

Maybe I should try it out and see for myself, though! Could be one of those things that's pleasantly surprising.

[1] "In my case i signed up to Meetup and just attended random stuff until people stuck. This usually involves hiking, pubs and bars, restaurant nights out."

>> I feel like I haven't achieved much

What type of achievement would be meaningful to you, in the sense that you could stop, if you wanted, after the achievement and move on to something else?

Can you buy them out?

That would be one way to kill the nuisance and find some more joy in what it looks like your self-respect forces you to do.