honestly, there isn't an answer for this question other than there isn't a start, and isn't a finish...asking this question will only lead to more questions, and infinite cycle of inquiries. time has no start, and no end, it's infinite..

as for other life outside of the milky way, i believe there is but I'm surprised we haven't picked up any signs from all the antennas/sensors/whatever else we have monitoring space. a theory i share with my dad on this subject is that we are just a single cell that is smaller than infinitely many other universes, and larger than infinitely many universes.. reality is what you make it.. there is no way to prove that i'm real, that you're real, or anything is real so you have to kind of accept that, and after i've done a little bit of researching into this and conversations with various other people, i've come to realize that you have to make the best of what you have, and live life to the fullest