Experiences vary, but I can tell you the best parts of my life have been since my mid-thirties. I was too dumb in my twenties and mostly went wherever the wind blew. Once I knew myself well enough to work toward goals that were actually meaningful to me, life got a lot better.
Now I've largely achieved them. Some brought lasting rewards, others were ephemeral, and still others didn't turn out the way I expected, but overall I feel pretty good about life.
So don't sell life short by imagining the brief period where you can enjoy both agency and minimal responsibility is automatically the best part of it.
That doesn't really address your core concern, which is the feeling that part of your transition into adulthood got scrambled by Covid. I just don't think it robbed you of your chance at a meaningful or fulfilling life the way it can sometimes feel in your early twenties.