Replying to How to live your life

So currently I am at the age where i need to be making life decisions and i am standing at somewhat of a crossroads. Would like to hear people's opinions and stories regarding jobs and living a happy life.

I'm 18, most of my friends are at university or college right now. I was a stoner through high school and kinda just didn't give a fuck, i grew up going through a Gifted program at my elementary school and early high school. Most stuff came easy to me but i was never an outstanding student, mostly just due to lazyness and lack of motivation throughout basically all of my schooling (gr 5 -gr12).

In my family I was always considered to be the "promise child", all my family and family friends praised me for my intelligence through my early years and held pretty high expectations for me (sorry if this is getting a bit narcissistic). So as a child and going into high school i always looked at myself as a business man, i ran little businesses my whole life starting in grade 3. In grade 7 I had a fingerboard business that actually got me some recognition online and i made a few thousand dollars (a big deal when you're 12).

Skipping forward... I am currently in a night school course trying to get a decent grade in Advanced functions. I finished high school with about a 65 average. My parents are dead set on me applying to university next spring and i have been going along with the idea. I don't have any plan and the more I look into business programs the less i want to take part. Visiting my friends in university has brought light onto the fact that university isn't going to be a whole lot different than high school (aside from broader social scene... More in depth assignments). As i said, i was never an extremely successful kid in school, but clearly was intelligent to other people.

I have this fear of getting accepted to a mediocre school just to spend 4 years scraping by to come out with a piece of paper that will get me a job that I'm not going to love for the rest of my life. I see the route my parents took and looking at them now, it doesn't seem to have brought them much joy in their later years. I understand the importance of financial security in this world but i can't get over this idea of working the same job with these insane hours for your entire life, only to turn 60 and realize you haven't really done much because you've worked through your glory years.

I've always had dreams of travelling the world, being a scuba diver and instructor,Climbing mountains and skiing down them.. Exploring different cultures and regions of the world. Just living that ideal life of exploration and adventure, And of course running a business the whole time as well.


Anyways this has kind of gone on a tangent. I am just stuck between living my life for my parents to keep everybody happy and living the dream i have envisioned. I know my parents are wise and are probably not wrong, i just have trouble giving in. Will i live my whole life wishing I had taken the risk and explored my artistic,adventurous side? Or if i go the other way... Will i live my life poor and lonely, wishing I had gone to school so i had tools to make money with.

TLDR: Do I go to school and make money or do i take a risk and live out my dreams.

Any stories or advice would be appreciated :)