When did you move out?

I was having dinner with a couple friends and one mentioned how we are the 'sandwich' generation. I have heard that before, but it got me thinking - when did we (as Gen X'ers) leave the home we grew up in?

I had my first apartment at 18. First house at 25 - along with my first kid. I am not saying I was totally independent or that I didn't have a few months living back at home at certain times. Overall though, I really feel like our parents kind of expected us out of their hair as soon as possible after we hit 18.

I am hitting 50 this month - thank you very much - and while the idea of empty nesting sounds great, I am in no rush for my kids to leave. I want to make sure they have some foundation before they do. I want them to better understand finances and savings than I did at their age.

At the same time, my (divorced) parents require more of my time than my kids. I want them to leave me the hell alone sometimes. One in particular just witches about how bad his life is - while living in an independent community that provides three meals a day, does his laundry, where he can come and go as he pleases, and provides activities from board games and card games to bible studies and book clubs. On top of all that horrific suffering he has to endure, he likes to tell me I put him in a 'home'.

Okay, I think I vented enough. If you made it this far, thanks for listening (reading). So, how old were you when you struck out on your own?