Growing into adulthood sometimes means choosing a fulfilling life that family members do not understand.

This young man loves traveling for seasonal work, while his mother wants him settled safely near home.

Another exciting opportunity could take him somewhere unforgettable, but accepting it may cause their biggest argument yet.

See why following his happiness leaves him carrying a ton of guilt.

AITA for “abandoning” my family to continue my transient lifestyle?

I (23M) have worked a series of seasonal jobs since my graduation from college in spring of 2024. i typically stick to the national parks.

These jobs take me all over the country, show me things i’d never otherwise see, and introduce me to some of the most amazing people this world has to offer.

I love the challenges posed by every job and location. This lifestyle makes me happy.

But his lifestyle does not make his mother happy.

My mother (62F), however, feels differently. She likes having me close and knowing i’m safe.

I can’t blame her. How could you blame a mom for worrying about her son?

The issue is the way she acts every time i leave home. It’s always a fight. She feels that i’m abandoning her, acting selfishly, and never fails to remind me that “one day i won’t be here anymore” and how regretful i’ll be when that day comes.

Every time i find another job away from home, it crushes her.

He knows what his mom wants him to do, but that’s not what he wants.

She expects me to stay home, get a safe job with benefits, and begin saving for retirement.

But i’m in my 20s, i don’t want to do that. I don’t know what i want for my life and i’m not going to stagnate around my hometown while i try to figure it out.

He did get a job in his hometown once.

I have also tried to play her game before. Following a summer job working as a security guard, i got very interested in law enforcement. I joined my hometown sheriff’s office and moved back home.

I loved that job. I lived at home, got great benefits, and had a lot of fun.

But that department was stuck in time and was going to end up on the wrong side of history, so i resigned and went back to what i was good at.

He’ll be happy if he gets this next job offer, but he knows his mom will be upset.

I just had an interview for a job at grand canyon national park and have been told to expect a job offer in the coming days. If offered, i intend to accept.

I just got home from my last seasonal job and i know it’ll be an absolute fight if i tell her i’ve gotten another.

I do my best to be home for holidays and birthdays but if i get this job, i’ll be spending my first christmas away from home and she’ll be devastated.

My father and her don’t have the closest relationship and my three older sisters, all of whom live in the area, really make no extra effort to be attentive to our mom.

He doesn’t want to make his mom upset.

I love my mom and i’m the biggest mama’s boy you’ll ever meet. But i don’t want to spend my entire youth appeasing her.

I’m wracked with guilt every time i leave home but know i’ll be regretful when i’m older for not taking advantage of these opportunities.

Life out there makes me happy.

AITA for leaving my family to continue being a transient?

His mom needs to let him go. It may be hard, but she can’t keep him home forever. At the same time, he’s an adult now. Maybe if he didn’t live with his parents when he’s home it wouldn’t be as hard on his mom when he leaves.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

A dad shares his perspective.

His mom should be grateful he lives at home part of the year.

Here’s a recommendation to take the job.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an incoming college student who does not want to share their grandparents’ monetary gift with a medically complex sibling.

Another person shares a quote.

This young man stayed connected to his family while building a life around seasonal jobs, travel, and experiences that genuinely fulfilled him.

His mother’s worry was understandable, but repeatedly using guilt and her future death to keep an adult child nearby was unfair.

The Grand Canyon is wide, but those apron strings seem even longer.