I seriously had this terrible fear of my future about a year ago. I felt like I was settling... in every aspect of my life at that time. I finally realized that it was stupid of me to waste my potential just for some safe plan in life I had settled for, and that everyone else seemed to be settling for as well. Thinking about the plan that seems expected: "graduate college, get a job, marry, have kids, grow old, impart wisdom/go senile, die" literally makes me sick to even think about. Here's my plan: graduate college, help other people in a way that provides me with some financial stability, do everything in my power to experience new things, share my life with someone, grow old, still help people in some way, theeeen die. *shrug* I suppose it's almost the same... but when I don't focus on the path that a lot of people aren't happy with, and of course, re-write it in a more positive way, it makes me smile and look forward to growing up, rather than dread my future.
You don't have to be "stuck" in a set way of life if you don't want to be. Get out there... experience... no one ever said you had to settle.
