Lemondrop

Last week The New York Times tried to dissect what it really meant to be 20-something in 2010, classifying you into a new category called "emerging adulthood."

What, praytell, is an emerging adult? In a nutshell, The Times said, it's a 20-something who isn't hitting the usual life markers (college, job, marriage, kids) in a traditional order or on the right timeline. In other words, when your parents did.

So, we asked you: What does being in your 20s really mean to you? Jessie Rosen, 27, explained her point of view in an essay: Dear NY Times, Here's Why I Haven't "Grown Up." Love, a 20-Something. And, in this survey, over 1,000 of you aired your true feelings.

Some liked the term "emerging adult." As Jackie, 22, put it:

"I like the fact that people are calling it emerging adulthood because that's how I feel. I know that my friends and I are different from my parent's generation and that we have different hopes and dreams. We want to find a career we love -- not jobs that just pay bills. Even in the face of the recession my generation still has hope."

But not everyone was as optimistic.

"Being 20-something sucks and it's confusing," says (a different) Jackie, 27.

"I worry constantly," confesses Elissa, 25. "More than I logically know that I should. The '20s is THAT decade where all of these important transitions and milestones are supposed to take place and my biggest fear is that I won't accomplish them within what is deemed an appropriate timeframe. I feel as though I'm not as far along as I should be in life."

After the jump, we share the real statistics on who's gotten where so far: how many of you live at home, how many of you are shacking up, and how you feel about the little questions (Do I really have to go to another wedding this weekend!?) and the Big (How am I going to grow into the best version of myself?).

Plus, more of everyone's innermost thoughts. We guarantee you won't be able to stop reading. We also know you'll feel a whole lot better when you realize that if you find your 20s confusing as hell, you're certainly not alone.

Life, Love & Cohabitation: Relationships in Your 20s
The bottom line: Shacking up is the new saying "I do," and with just 13 percent of you currently married, you're in no hurry to tie the knot.

In fact, over double that amount of you -- 28 percent -- currently live with a significant other, despite the fact that you're not married; 30 percent declared yourselves "perpetually single" (We're sorry!); 30 percent are currently in a relationship; only 2 percent are divorced.

You do feel pressure to settle down, but you're more concerned about taking your time and not making a mistake than not committing at all.

"When my mom was my age, she had three kids," laments one 26-year-old. Even some of your grandmas get in on the nagging: "What does being in my twenties mean to me? It means that my 93-year-old grandmother tells me I should 'learn from my friends' that are getting married," one 27-year-old told us. "But it means that I look at marriage and settling down in terms of, 'Is that a man I can wake up next to for the next 50 or 60 years!?'"

Then again, while you might be slightly concerned about when your own Mr. Right will appear, one thing's for sure: You're good and sick of going to other people's weddings. As Cara, 27, put it:

"I have celebrated 9 (yes, 9!) friends' weddings in the past year, all the while waiting patiently for my own Price Charming. Do I feel the pressure to settle down? Honestly, sometimes yes, but I believe that everyone moves at their own pace in every aspect of life and when the time seems right, I will, too."

In fact, more than one of you mentioned escaping on your own version of "Eat, Pray, Love" before buying a McMansion and having a mini-me.

"To be 25 is to negotiate the things I feel I should do and the things I want to do," says Elyse, 25. "I feel like I should get married, buy a house and start popping out kids. And I want those things eventually, but just not right now. I want to work hard and find a job I absolutely love that fits me first. But if I wait till then, will my baby-bearing days be over?"

"Being 20-something in my life is categorized as my boyfriend who I thought was 'the one' -- and began to plan a life with -- breaking up with me," says Brittany, 24. "Then the same day booking a trip to Italy all by myself. It is 'Eat, Pray, Love' inspired. I could never be so free-spirited when I am in my '30s, married and have the responsibility of a family."

"I'm not looking to reproduce anytime soon," says Jennifer, 25. "And hell yeah, I want my life to be like 'Eat, Pray Love.' Who wouldn't want food, sex, and adventure!?"

U-Hauls, Roommates & Moving Home: The 20-Something Domestic Dance

The truth is, many of you must feel like you haven't had a real home ever since you hit this decade: 78 percent of you said you've moved at least six times in your 20s, compared to 26 percent who have only packed up a U-Haul once or twice.

And yes, it's true: Many 20-somethings still fight over the remote with dear old mom and dad: 26 percent of you -- or 1 in 4 -- live at home. And that, you say, creates its own domestic can of worms:

"It's an awkward time for me because I'm not a teenager anymore, but I still rely on my parents, especially since I still live with them," says Melissa, 22. "It's a constant struggle to find your independence."

Some of you, like Jessie (above), move back temporarily in order to bank what would otherwise be eaten up by rent. By relocating to her childhood bedroom in New Jersey for a year, she was able to using her savings to pay for a cross-country move -- and new writing career -- in Los Angeles.

"Every single person I've told since then has reacted with some version of 'Now's the time' or 'I wish I'd done that when I was your age,'" she says.

But many of you do lose sleep over your alleged "failure to launch."

"Being in my mid-20s feels bizarre," says Christina, 25. "It feels like I'm doing everything right and everything wrong at the same time. I'm single, I live with my parents, I don't have a permanent job (although I do have a very impressive internship). But at the same time, I'm in grad school, fairly successful at my program, and have a healthy social life, generally all the things I need to build a successful future."

For many 20-somethings, a place without any roommates is the ultimate goal: "What are my milestones?" asks Jennifer, 25. "Not living with my parents or a stranger."

But don't despair. While many of you dream of not sharing a bathroom, 26 percent live with at least one roommate, while only 17 percent currently have a home all their own.

Résumés, Salaries & the GMATS: Will I Ever Find the Right Career?
If you crave reassurance that everyone's just as confused as you are, marinate in this list of concerns, all of which came straight from your mouths to our inbox:

"Trying to get a legitimate job after college, and failing is something I'm constantly afraid of. There's so much pressure after college to enter the professional world and be completely ready for it all. The pressure to be perfect as far as finances, health and career goals feels insurmountable at times. I'm far from perfect, but I feel like one mistake professionally could be the end of my career. I guess being 20-something sometimes feels like not being good enough."

"I'm 24. Every day I wonder to myself, 'Am I giving my career 110%? Am I doing the right thing?' I placate (motivate?) myself by saying that by the time I'm 25 all of this will be rectified -- I'll nail my career goals, find a happy, long-term relationship, and will finally be ready to 'settle down' and be an adult. Then I read articles like this and the anxiety and nerves kick right back in again."

"Being in my '20s is complex. One day I'm full of hope about my future, and the next day I feel hopeless. To be honest, I feel stuck. I may be financially independent, living on my own, etc, but at the end of the day I don't know where I'm going, where I want to go or how I'm going to get there. I've yet to find a job I enjoy, and right now that's what scares me the most. Am I destined to suffer through a miserable job that hardly pays? I had always been told that a great education would open up a world of possibility, but the truth is everyone has a great education nowadays. A university degree no longer makes you stand out but rather offers you another means by which to blend in."

The best advice we can give you: Reeeeeee-lax.

Based on what you told us, the job you have now is just a stepping stone to something better. In fact, most of you have had six jobs already in your 20s.

You definitely want to do meaningful work, and you're in a great position to get there: 62 percent of you have graduated college or are currently working on a graduate degree. And another 26 percent are considering one.

In fact, overall, your biggest fear seems to be: With all these choices open to me, how will I ever choose one career?

"We were raised to believe that 'you can do anything, as long as you put some effort into it!'," laments Annabelle, 22. "Too many choices!"

Or as Kayci, 26, puts it:

"My whole life I've been told -- by parents, teachers, and coaches -- that I'm smart, talented, and 'special.' I've always been told that I can be anything I want to be. The problem is, I'm not sure what I want, and I feel like I'm letting everyone down if what I want is anything less than 'first female president' or 'doctor who cures cancer'. I wish there were less pressure to know what I 'should' be and more understanding from my family if what I want isn't all that lofty or important."

The bottom line: You don't have to know it all right now.

Whether you call it your 20s or emerging adulthood, you do have the time to grow into the grown-up version of you, one day at a time. And yes, while making plenty of mistakes along the way. Fact is, this decade should be a time to experiment.

Just take it from Nicole, 24:

"Your twenties are about making mistakes. Falling down. Getting up. Being irresponsible. Crying while laughing. Learning from friends. Falling in love. Changing your mind a hundred times -- then changing it back again. Feeling invincible and vulnerable at the same time. This is all corny stuff, I'm sure, but I believe it. I don't think there's another time in life when I can be as deliciously selfish. The stupidity of the teen years are over, and I have some basic wisdom now -- so I feel I can enjoy life better. Does this make sense??"

Perfect, in our minds. How does it sound to you?