Where do I go from here?

**TL;DR:** I somehow manage to escape the rat race, but I don’t know where I should go or what I should do. I’m a little overwhelmed.<br><br>I’m a 17 year old high school drop-out, living in a country with no minimum wage. I’m probably going to have to drop out of school to get a better job, seeing as I can’t do a part time job and full time schooling together. This is a bit of a detour from your traditional philosophy discussion on this sub, but I’d love to hear your thoughts about this.<br><br>So, the country I live in is extremely capitalistic. That, combined with corrupt governance, makes it paradise for the rich and hell for the poor. I’m a member of the poor, or at least I used to be. About a year ago, I read the story of Chris Gardner. I was so moved by it that I decided to do whatever it takes to pull myself out of poverty. After a year of hard work, getting multiple jobs, learning multiple skills, grinding every day, I think I can say confidently that I’ve essentially done it at the age of 17.<br><br>I’ve learned how to trade - I’ve made a decent amount of money doing that, not much, but it’s a great safety net to have when I don’t have a job. I work as an intern in the mornings and right after that, I work at a restaurant. I make a combined 300$ a month, which is actually not bad for where I live. I’m planning on getting a better job when I turn 18 (-illegal to have a full time job otherwise-), which will hopefully increase my pay even more. I’ve learned to play the guitar recently, so when I sit at the restaurant after my shift I play the guitar and collect tips. It’s not much, but it’s something. I’ve also learned how to play chess, and I’m fairly good at it. I played in a tournament recently and won some money. Once again, not a lot, but it’s a good way to make some extra cash on the side.<br><br>I’ve also learned how to code, and things are going well there. I’ve got a very promising freelance coding opportunity lined up, which will hopefully start yielding some money in about a month or two. I’ve also been accepted into a coding boot camp which I’ll be going to in a few months. I’ve also learned web development - although I don’t use that skill much, I do have a few clients every now and then.<br><br>I’ve also taken up a few hobbies like gardening, cooking and baking. I sell whatever I grow in my garden, cook a lot for myself to save money and bake a lot for myself and my friends. It’s actually a lot of fun. I’ve also recently bought a small second-hand drone and I’m planning on getting a remote pilot license - I’ve heard there’s a lot of money in drone piloting.<br><br>All this has made my life a lot better. I’m earning a lot more than I used to, I’m learning a lot of cool stuff and I’m not hungry anymore.<br><br>I did all this while pursuing my education - amassing all these skills, getting multiple jobs, freelancing etc. at the same time as going to school. It took a huge toll on my mental health. I would work from 9am to 2am six days a week (I didn’t work on Sundays, that’s the day I relax and recharge for the week). I didn’t have time for anything else. I didn’t have any friends, and barely any family. I didn’t have time to see them, and I didn’t have the energy. But now that I’ve essentially built myself a better life, I don’t know where I go from here. I’ve been working towards this goal for the last year, and it’s been the only thing on my mind for all of 2023. And now that it’s done, I don’t know what to do. I’m a little overwhelmed with the options I have. I can do anything now - I don’t have any restrictions. But where do I go from here? I might drop out of school to focus on my career, and if I do I don’t know where I should go next. If not, I could continue with my education. But if I do that, I’m not sure if I should go for a normal degree, or if I should think about my career in the long run and go for a field that I think would do well in the future.<br><br>I love technology, so maybe I should go into tech. I love playing chess, but tech seems more lucrative, which is important considering my current situation. I love playing the guitar, but tech seems more lucrative, same as before. There are so many things I’m considering - I want to travel, I want to explore, I want to learn new things, I want to make new friends, I want to meet new people. I’m being pulled in so many directions that I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. A large part of my life has been dedicated to this goal, and now that it’s done I feel a little lost.<br><br>I want to explore the world and learn new things in the process, but I know that’s not going to be lucrative. I want to settle down somewhere, but I’ve been doing that for the last year and I’m a little tired of it. I’m just not sure where to go from here.<br><br>I’ve been doing so much with no time for anything else that I’ve never really stopped to think about what I want. Sure, I know what I don’t want, that much is clear. But I don’t know what I DO want. A lot of things are in front of me, and I want to do all of them. But I know realistically I can’t.<br><br>So, internet, where do I go from here? I’m not really looking for advice on specific things I can do, that’s something I think I can figure out for myself. I think my problem is more with understanding myself and what I want to do with my life.<br><br>Thanks for reading :)