My lovely pal Ginny wrote up a list of the ten most important milestones she achieved in the past decade and e-mailed it out to some of her closest friends. I loved what she said (among my favorites: "Met the South.") and decided I'd play along too and look back at the past decade.
So, my beloved readers ... here you go. In no specific order: Noodles v. the Aughts.
1) Graduated from college and entered a career with what was probably an overabundance of optimism.
2) Fell in love with that career. Recognized the early signs of burn out. Realized
true love comes with a backup plan.
3) Made new friends, but (for the most part) kept the old.
4) Moved to, for varying amount of times: Washington, D.C; Wichita, Kan.; Tampa, Fla.;
Belfast, Northern Ireland; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Indianapolis, Ind.; River Forest, Ill.; and
Chicago - starting over from scratch almost every time.
5) Adopted a dog, then proceeded to spend copious amounts of money on her medical care, food, toys and subsequent peace offerings with the neighbors who quickly grew tired of her squirrel-fueled barking.
6) Fell in and out of love, breaking a few hearts. Including my own. Several times over.
7) Learned more than I ever expected about myself, my craft, my world and the people whom I love.
8) Bought a condo. Promptly regretted buying a condo.
9) Grew up and became my own person, only to realize that this who growing/becoming thing is a process that will probably never, EVER be finished.
10) Found my faith and became _ I hope, anyway _ a better person for it.
What about you?
