I'm not sure, but I'm leaning towards adulthood. Yes, the free time of childhood is great, and I miss it a ton, but I can't kid myself and claim to have been a carefree child. I was always worrying about something, and even though most adults would consider my "adult" worries today to be more legitimate and of larger concern than my "kid" worries, the fact is that both probably felt similarly emotionally important to me. Yes, kids have less responsibility, but they don't have the context to understand what that really means, nor do they have the experience to allow them to tackle bigger problems. Thus, small "kid" problems still stretch the limits of a child's worry and problem-solving skills; it's through overcoming such challenges throughout childhood that we gradually take on bigger and bigger burdens and eventually become adults. So yes, if I were to return to childhood today, with my current knowledge and mind, I would find life much simpler and more carefree, but if I had to go back with the mind I had as a kid, it wouldn't be nearly as fun. And if I were my childhood self, some things would be better (the holidays were more magical, for example, and I didn't know as much about world affairs or disasters pre-9/11), but others would drive me nuts. Alternatively if I returned to childhood with my current mental state, I think the lack of responsibility, freedom, and respect from other adults might drive me nuts.
Life as an adult is tough, and I'm fortunate to be in a position where my life is relatively stable (i.e., I'm doing fine financially and I'm on the path I need to be on to have a shot at my career goals). I can't say I enjoy it all that much, but at least I feel like I have the chance to make a meaningful contribution to society as an adult. As a kid, I always felt like I was in a phase of delayed gratification, attending year after year of school in hopes of eventually accomplishing something. I was too focused on the future (which in many ways, I still am), and now that I'm finally getting to see where that future has led. Do I dread the brutal hours and emotional toil I expect it'll take on me, and will I long for the vacations of childhood and the days when my biggest complaints were that I had an hour or two of homework over the weekend? Yes. But for once, I'm choosing my own path through life and my career, rather than just following the K-12 (and college) progression, and it's rather liberating.
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