• I always daydreamed about living with friends, but at 28, I've only ever lived with my parents.
• There are downsides, but I've been able to save up to buy a house and become closer to my family.
• I've also learned many interpersonal skills that I'll bring with me when I move in with my partner.

When I was 16, living with my parents was a drag. It felt like they always wanted to know where I was going, when I was coming home, and who I was going out with.

I dreamed of the day I would move into a house with my friends. Shows like "The Bold Type" and "Girls" had me fantasizing about living in a tiny apartment in New York, hanging out on the couch, and ordering pizza for dinner.

I always thought one day, I would inevitably find myself in the right circumstances where I would move out with some friends or housemates — but at 28, I'm still living at home.

The older I got, the more apparent it became to me that I liked living with my family, and I didn't feel a rush to leave. Now, I'm preparing to move into a new house with my soon-to-be husband, and I'll never get to live that girlhood dream.

I have no regrets about how things shook out, though.

I've been able to save money and learn invaluable life skills

Admittedly, in some ways, living at home has given me less freedom: Blasting music at midnight is a no-go, and often everyone's trying to use the kitchen at the same time.

What I've lost there, though, I've gained in financial flexibility.

While my friends have faced rent increases, power bills, and other household expenses, I've been able to save money throughout my 20s. Because of that, I could afford to get my degree — and even to purchase the house I'll move into soon.

I've also been able to spend extra money on passions like traveling the world. Having the disposable income to book a holiday at the drop of a hat is a privilege I wouldn't have if I were paying rent here in Perth, Australia.

Along with saving money, I've been able to hone my conflict-resolution and communication skills.

Agreeing on who gets to use the washing machine on which day or who burned the good pot in the kitchen can lead to many an argument. I've learned lessons on picking my battles, letting things go, and most importantly, cooperation.

I know now that some arguments aren't worth having, and it's better for everyone's relationship if we try to meet in the middle.

Best of all, I've become so much closer to my parents

When I was a teenager, I moved mountains to keep secrets from my parents. I wouldn't even tell them what I bought at the supermarket, let alone share the deepest parts of my life.

Generally, we've never been the type of family that uses our words to express ourselves, something I've attributed to our Asian background. Living together as adults, though, has brought my parents and me closer in ways I wouldn't have seen coming when I was a bratty 16-year-old.

We're intrinsically part of each other's everyday lives. We talk over breakfast, vent about our workdays, and send each other funny pictures of what our dog's doing. With time, this led to us connecting about deeper, more "adult" topics, from work and relationships to faith and finances.

Now, I find that I share almost everything with my parents. I turn to my dad for advice when I need support, and whenever I have a smidgen of news, my mom is often the first person I want to tell.

There are times I wish I lived on my own, though

I would be lying if I said that it's always fun to be a 28-year-old living at home. There are times when I wish I could host my friends for dinner, or that I could paint the living room a color of my choice. (For what it's worth, I'd choose a warm yellow.)

As accommodating as my family is, at the end of the day, I do often feel like I live in someone else's space. I crave the feeling of coming home to a place that I decorated myself, where I can leave dishes in the sink or have a late-night snack without waking anyone up.

I know that this setup isn't forever. Soon, my partner and I will get married, and I'll have to get used to living with someone new.

However, when we do move in together, I know I'll be bringing skills I've learned from nearly three decades of sharing a home with the people who know me best. I know how to have difficult conversations with people I love, how to compromise when we don't always agree, and when to just let things go.

I may have missed out on having my own place in my 20s, but I gained skills — and a true friendship with my parents — that I never expected, and wouldn't trade for the world.

• Last year, I went through a difficult breakup, lost my job, and moved back home with my mom.
• At first, returning to the city I grew up in made me feel like a failure.
• Surprisingly, reconnecting with the community healed me and inspired my next career move.

At 36, I had everything I ever wanted.

I was a senior communications leader at one of the world's biggest entertainment companies, earning a title and salary that I had worked my entire career to get.

Not only did I have my dream job, but also an amazing group of friends and family, a healthy relationship, and a passport that was getting stamped almost monthly.

I felt like I was finally creating the life and family I always wished for. Until, suddenly, everything changed.

A breakup and a layoff forced me to reevaluate my life

After returning home from a girls' trip, my partner of four years and I had a hard but necessary conversation, and ultimately decided to end our relationship.

Although we had our ups and downs, we seemed to be working through things, and I never thought our struggles would ultimately end in a breakup.

Because we had been living together, I was forced to pack up my belongings at my partner's home in Florida and move to my mom's condo in my hometown of New Orleans — the best financial option and a way to be close to my family when I needed them most.

Luckily, my job allowed me to work remotely as long as I visited the New York City office once a month, so moving states wouldn't be an issue.

Plus, my mom and I are close, especially since I'm an only child, so I was excited to live with her again. But part of me still felt like a failure returning to the city I grew up in.

However, I looked forward to spending meaningful time with her — something I hadn't been able to do since moving to a different state.

It felt nice slipping into our old routines: watching our favorite "Real Housewives" episodes together, grabbing lunch, being each other's plus-ones to sporting events, and recapping our days in person instead of over the phone.

I was so grateful for every moment we shared together, but I didn't think I'd stay there much longer than six months.

That all changed when I was laid off from my job. Full of shock and uncertainty, I was faced with the reality that, for the first time in my life, I didn't know what would come next.

Suddenly, I was stuck at home, unemployed, and staring at a future I couldn't map out.

Reconnecting with my community inspired my next career move

Thankfully, severance and unemployment benefits gave me something I had rarely allowed myself before: time.

As I sat with myself, I realized I've spent almost my entire life searching for that next title, promotion, or accomplishment.

The layoff forced me to face the truth I had been denying: it was time for a change.

So, instead of rushing to recreate my old life, I decided to lean into the one I had. I decided if I was going to be in New Orleans, I was going to truly be here.

After exploring new parts of the city, attending local events, and trying new fitness classes, I started to see my hometown in a new light.

When I used to visit the city as an adult, I never thought I could be happy living here again. However, I never had a community to rely on, since I had grown apart from my childhood friends and was never in town long enough to truly reconnect.

Now, a year and a half after moving back, my life looks completely different than the one I thought I wanted. I started a business, established a flourishing group of old and new friends, built a personal brand, and discovered a passion for community-building that I never knew existed.

Most of all, I found something I wasn't expecting: I love living back in New Orleans, and I'm really happy.

The city gave me space to heal and rediscover myself after one of the hardest chapters of my career.

I'm not sure if my time living at home will be permanent, but for now, I'm content and hope to continue to blossom here until the next adventure calls me.

Overall, returning home didn't ruin my life — it's helped me rebuild it.