I thought I liked Cary's response at first, but now I am not sure.

Overall, I think the writer is pretty together and thoughtful, and is going through a very natural phase that virtually everyone does.

I think the key is the comment "how would I go about politely ditching the housemates on those nights?" As others have said, I think what is really needed is to get out there on your own. Not necessarily a sudden, clean break from the housemates and friends you have, but at least a gradual space making for yourself and new stuff. I have the sense that if you make space in your life for new things, new and interesting things will come. If you have to worry about how to politely ditch your housemates in order to pursue something of real interest to you, you really do have actual barriers to getting new things into your life.

My experience is that whether you leave them or they leave you, those housemates are not going to be there for long anyway. No matter what wastrels they now seem, they will get married, move away for school or work, take off and travel for a year at a clip, or maybe just move in with others that are more into "waking and baking" than you are these days. You just will not maintain the collective social experience for that much longer. It is sad in a way, but freeing. Again, my experience, but I would expect that you are naturally going to make new friends, but they will not be as confining. They will not be as "close," either, in many ways, and that may seem lonely from time to time, but over time it will be more satisfying.

How to make space? Own apartment, sure. Forces one to be on ones own. Travel? Yep, something about travel is incredibly broadening. Travel on your own though or with folks you do not know that well or it will not give you as much room to change, explore, etc. You want it to be "You Barcelona," not housemates in Barcelona. Courses? I would think some course that would help you advance career-wise might be a great step. Be around different, but ambitious people, and help yourself at the same time.

Full-on grad, law, or business school? Wow, I sure would not think so, unless, as others have said, that is what you really want to do, and what I hear is that you really do not know what you want to do, so how could these be in the picture. Something like law school would take up all of your time and energy, and unless a lawyer is what you think you want to morph into, seems to me that is sort of the opposite of getting out there on your own and "finding yourself."

I did think the was a disturbing lack of reference to job in the writer's letter. Lots of folks at 27 are inspired by their work or at least at the prospect of developing their careers. Work is going to take up a lot of your time from hear out. If you are not into it now. what is it going to be like in 10 years. So I would think that somehow exploring the work side of life should be on the agenda, too.

Freud had it right. Life is really only love (talking broader than romantic love here) and work. Need to figure out what makes us happy in both.

Her first boyfriend? What, from when she was 16 years old?

My guess is that if something is not phony and deceptive, something is very flaky. In either case, Cary is right. Back away and figure out why you feel drawn into this kind of thing anyway.

For that matter, I do not get the sense that either of you is going to miss the other very much anyway.