10 Years Sure Went Fast...

Tomorrow, I will officially be 28 years old. Yikes! Now, I'm not saying I'm "old" or that "so much of my life is behind me"...because I know that's a big fat lie. However, it does make me wonder where the last 10 years of my life went. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday that I was a wide-eyed 18 year old high school graduate, ready to take on the world. I had no clue where I would end up, what I would be doing, or even who would still be in my life. I can honestly tell you that I never thought I would be where I am now, but I'm sure glad this is where life has taken me! So I'd like to take this time to reflect on all the wonderful changes that have take place between 18 and 28.

An Ode to a Decade:

I went to George Fox University and loved every minute - too many relationships and memories to count from that incredible place.

I changed my major...four times? And I still have no clue what I want to be when I grow up.

I experienced my first "real" relationship (as in, not just high school "going out" drama) - and consequently also had my heart broken pretty badly.

I caught the travel bug, big time, after going to Greece and Italy during my Junior Year of college. It hasn't really left since!

I went on a short-term mission which was incredible, difficult, and life-changing.

I lived abroad.

I packed up almost everything I owned, hopped in the car with mom, and moved across the country.

I became a "licensed" tour guide. Then I taught people how to be excellent tour guides.

I worked at my first job that literally made me dread getting up every morning. And I quickly moved on.

I learned how to be more responsible with money and have been aggressively saving for the future.

I've finally begun to battle my lifelong issue with jealousy. It's not completely gone, but I've taken some pretty incredible steps in this area.

I finished graduate school, and not even a 2 months later got offered a job in a totally different area. Go figure!

I gained a lot of weight, lost most of it, and have slowly been putting it back on again. Thankfully, I've finally made some life changes which are helping it to come back off slowly (and stay off!).

I met the most incredible man on the face of this Earth...and he actually wants to marry me (and asked in Rome no less!).

So I'm happy to report that I'll start off the second decade of my life as a financially stable, "master" wife, with a new job and a new outlook on life. I'm ready to give into the travel bug, and see what the next 10 years will bring. With Greg by my side, I can imagine it will be anything but better than the last decade. So good-bye to the last 10 years....you've been great!