Hey, 2020!
It’s been over six months since I wrote something – which is a long time for me to not write. I say it is overdue. Instead of my normal Year In Review post (I will still be visiting those questions at some point), I want to look at the past decade.
I have written before that my goals are always changing. I think a trend in my posts and in my personal writing is that I continue to hope that the choices and small goals I make every day will lead me toward something. So when I saw a classmate of mine post a super brief summary of his decade, I wanted to do the same for my decade. I think I may have to break out my old journals to do some fact-checking on this (*shutter*).
2010
- Graduated high school
- Started school in Gettysburg and loved it
- Took a variety of classes – was told by an advisor I shouldn’t take business classes
- Worked part-time on campus in the sub shop
2011
- Started to hate Gettysburg and my classes
- Cried in the office of my new advisor – she told me to give it another semester, I took more English and Anthro classes
- Got an additional job as Editor-In-Chief of the yearbook and loved work
- I stopped journaling as much and started blogging
2012
- Developed bad acne and gained a lot of weight
- Worked 2 jobs and continued school
- Took too many anthropology classes and not enough (though more than before) art classes
- Started to use creativity as an outlet to sort out my thoughts more
- Chose to get a BA in English with an Anthropology minor (basically because of the credits I already had)
2013
- Took a painting class – first time using oil paints
- Worked my third and last summer at the city pool
- Decided to finish college strong – even if it hadn’t turned out like I thought it would
- Managing the yearbook helped me keep my confidence and develop work skills
2014
- Graduated college and started my job hunt having no idea what I was looking for
- Started a full-time job in retail, commuted an hour both ways
- Loved working and problem-solving
- Started to hold a grudge toward my student loans
- Shared a room with my 8 yo sister
2015
- Realized I hated retail and got a call from a tile factory with a big pay cut but the chance to work in a creative space
- Moved into a house with my sister – got my own room 🙂
- Joined a band as the lead singer
- Started tending bar once a week
- Picked up Charlie from a Craigslist stranger
2016
- Became an aunt
- Lost and confused but driven became my motto
- Determined to pay my students loans off by 2023
- Learned so much about tile and factory work and business operations
- Took on a lot of marketing projects for the company
- Shot my first buck
2017
- Realized my sister and I could not live together anymore
- Picked up more hours tending bar
- Moved into a management team position at the tile factory
- Watched my niece grow and learn so many things
- Realized I tore my ACL (in 2016) and had surgery
- Got a sister-in-law
- Purchased a house
2018
- So many house projects (refinishing floors, painting every wall, finding furniture, curtains)
- Paid off 6/8 of my student loan accounts
- Started painting more regularly and sold a few pieces
- The tile factory closed and I found a temp job as an Accounting Assistant about 40 min away
2019
- Freaked out because my desk job was such a hard transition
- Got a brother-in-law
- Was made a permanent employee with a great benefits package
- Paid off my student loans four years ahead of my original plans
- Continued painting and drawing more
- Moved the blog for the 4th time
There were so many trips littered throughout the past ten years that I didn’t mention – nothing outside the US, but all of them were fun. I am lucky to have those opportunities to visit friends and family far and wide.
In reviewing the decade, from my blog posts and handwritten journals, I found that I still struggle with so many of the same issues; my weight, money, career… concern over whether I am where I am “supposed to be.” However, the older I get, the less I care what I am “supposed to be” doing. I become more and more grateful for the life I have every single day.