Do you think 26 will be too old to party? Make new friends? Find love?

[AntiSocal]

I hate the american culture. Honestly its just not doing it for me. America is just not doing it for me lol.

 

Recently heard about this opportunity for foreigners to join the french military. You serve for 5 years, if you serve well you receive EU citizenship and you'll be fluent in french. I also like the idea of really pushing my limits and maybe getting into a few fire fights. So i've made up my mind about going.

 

Only drawback that i can see is that after being discharged i'll be about 26 years old. Finding a career after the military won't be a problem at all. I already have all those details planned out. My biggest problem will be trying to assimilate to a new country at the old age of 26?

 

I'm a party guy and I already have trouble making party friends at 21 and in california. I can't imagine how hard it will be in france at 26. Plus won't i look weird being a 26 year old when the majority of club goers in paris are probably like 18?

 

Idk i feel like it will be a big chunk of my life that will kinda be wasted. Not completely wasted, but kinda wasted. And i wonder if at 26 i'll even be the same person. I don't wanna be looked at as "that old dude" you know the guy whose like 30 but dresses like a middle schooler and tries to act likes hes 18?

 

Idk. Opinions? Is 26 all that old?

[GorillaTheater]

26 years old is practically a kid.

 

The French Foreign Legion? Well hell, why not? I'd do a bunch of research to make sure you fully know what you're getting into, though. I've spoken to a guy who in the FFL in the 70s, and it was a mix of the absolutely absurd and some of the greatest elan in the world.

[Mr Scorpio]

27 too old? Hardly. 30 is the new 25 these days. Hell, in some parts of America (e.g. -- Portland) people don't settle down until their late-30s/early-40s.

[Ninjainpajamas]

I've seen a documentary on the French Foreign Legion years ago, takes you through the training and all of that, it was on the history channel or discovery, don't recall.

 

Anyway, I'm not sure if this is a good idea for you if you are not someone who has even traveled out of your own country. Do you have any idea what it's like to interact with a culture that's completely different than your own? there's different rules and ways that people in general interact and conduct themselves, it's something you've got to immerse yourself in before you can understand it...so I'd recommend taking a trip to Paris and getting a taste of the culture first hand, knowing French people who are adapting to your culture in California is not the same thing.

 

But your age is not a problem, I thought I was old too at 26, I'm 33 now...I was just a kid, you're still plenty young even if 20 somethings make you feel old, they're just in a different mindset but you're not quite mature, you'll start mingling more with a mixed age crowd as you get older who are far more interesting to talk to.

 

I think doing this would be a little drastic, but I know you might feel like just changing everything, it's just a bit more difficult than you might be imaging it, it's not easy assimilating to another culture, especially with the language barrier itself...so I'd start learning French now If you plan on doing it, it takes years and years to learn a language effectively for most people.

[Els]

Have you thought of a less drastic option - like a working holiday in France, or at least visiting France first - to see if you're going to like what you put the next 5 years of your life into?

 

There's nothing wrong with military or France or being 26, but this sounds to me like a very impulsive decision, and it also sounds to me like you're worrying about all the not-so-important things. Signing a 5-year contract is a big deal and should be made with as much information as possible. And the primary determinant for your choice shouldn't be whether or not you'll be too old to party when you're done...

[topaMAXX]

I'm 27 and still party with 18-22 year olds at times. No one cares. When I was still into the casual thing, I was hooking up with girls that age too.

[InnocentMan]

The foreign legion used to be a safe haven for criminals and low-lifes on the run etc. Think it's cleaned up a bit now, but I imagine it still has it's fair share of shady characters. Be warned, the French are generally an arrogant set of c**ts, especially if you don't speak the lingo.

[GravityMan]

LMAO @ 26 being too "old" to party.

 

I'm 34. I don't go out that often to party, but everytime I do go out to downtown Austin or whatever, many of the places are filled with people from their early 20s (probably even late teens in places that allow them) up to those in their 40s. None of the "older" folks I know got odd looks (or they didn't care enough to notice). Most people generally fit in decently enough and hardly anyone gave a damn; we're all out to have a good time.

 

The occasional time where someone was regarded as being a bit strange...it wasn't due to his or her age.

 

I think you are overreacting, AntiSocal. What you are considering sounds like something that needs to be thought through very carefully, with ample info at your disposal and pros and cons laid out and considered. Not a decision that should be made impulsively.