I did more or less the same thing in Chicago in the 90's. It's a miserable existence, but you feel so hip, cool and victorious knowing that you've escaped the burbs. A lot of the buzz in Silicon Valley about living in San Fran reminds me of that, too.

Isn't that what your 20's are for, though? Trying new things, being able to risk a bunch and learning that perhaps there are other things that are more important than being hip and trendy? And, you gain a lot of experiences and lessons learned, so even though you're malnourished, it's not all bad.