the human brain is still developing at 17, and is capable of embracing radical life changes.
Accepting misery as inescapable, and getting hooked on copes like alcohol, weed, porn, vidya is the only thing which will surely doom you to a life of solitary misery from the get-go.
Life vitality and enjoyment peak around 23 or 24...so you have seven years to work on building your life through experiences. Don't assume that heading straight to a party hostel in Nicaragua on your 18th birthday will be the best move. First you have to learn what you are capable of, putting yourself through ordeals and struggles, building confidence in your physical and mental abilities, building cameraderie and learning masculinity from the men you are working with, and hopefully saving up some money in the process. Not all seasonal jobs are hyper-macho, of course; you can clean rooms or wash dishes in a national park resort, make many acquaintances who gradually turn into friends as you hang out together after work.
Then hell, fly out to a party hostel in Nicaragua with a couple friends at season's end and live it up for a couple weeks.
Don't judge your progress against the achievements of others, as there will always be others who achieve far more than you do. Judge it by your own personal development. Okay, maybe the first girl you got with was a drunk fattie, and all your buddies made fun of you for the next week. Maybe you didn't even fuck, only cuddle. Life is like that. Experience builds on experience.
Who knows, by 21 you might be thru-hiking the appalachian trail and mooning the cog with some thru-hiker friends.
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