So I don't really know how to ask this question because I can't quite explain what I really mean or want to ask.
I am now 30 years old and I couldn't be in a better situation than currently. My job is fun and providing me enough money to live a happy life and pay my own built house (I am a nurse). I have way more free time than lets say even in my childhood. I remember coming home from school and feeling anxiety cause of exams. I remember nursing school, it was hell for me.
Now all I have to do is go to work and when my shift is done I am off and can do whatever I want whenever I want. I don't have to ask parents to drive me somewhere, I have my own money, I have my own house, I can play video games all day... and still, I don't know why but nostalgia is real.
I am not even sure if my feelings are real. I can only give silly examples like coming home from school, logging into world of warcraft with friends and having a blast. But I don't think it was like that. We were all just in skype and everyone was minding their own business in that game. We had good laughs though.
I don't know. My life should be so much better than it was 15 years ago but I miss the 2000s era. It all just felt so different. I remember the hot summers going to the lake with friends.
Now? I don't know. Maybe it is because it seems like I am the only one that has so much "time" and no one really joins anymore. While I have a wife and no kids and most of my friends don't even have a wife yet (so no kids....) they still are somehow busy and don't go to the lake anymore, don't play video games anymore, don't do anything. I actually wonder what they do all day.
Life felt more exciting back then. Maybe because I had goals and now I am "done"? But this should feel good. I am happy that I am "done". House, wife, job. Those were the things I wanted back then and now I am more than happy to have those things.
A few thoughts -
Missing childhood is normal: you had (effectively) no responsibilities (even if you had less time), making friends was simple as you were constantly mixing with a large peer group at school and being children there was little friction to making new friends.
You've grown apart from your current friends and it's hard to go make new ones. Your friends likely have time but don't share your interests or have dedicated that time to their own new friendships. You dedicate more time to your wife as well (or if you don't you've got a marriage that needs fixing). Finding new friends is rough but it's probably your next step.
You might be suffering from depression or burnout. If life isn't exciting when you've "got it all" then you should probably consult a therapist or even psychiatrist. There's so much joy and richness to be had in life - I'm excited every day to go try new things or to stay at home with my partner or to go play games with friends online.
Have you considered liberating Malevelon Creek?