21st century, 2nd decade. wow.

a new year brings resolutions, remembrance, and reminiscing. it's hard to believe that already a decade has passed and it's currently 2011. when i was younger i could hardly imagine that coming to pass. and thinking back, a lot happened in the past 10 years. a significant a lot. but it would take too much time to delve into everything....so i'll just share the highlights:

2000- i spent a summer in Tamana, Japan. i learned patience, the love of sticky rice, and how to write my name in japanese caligraphy. and then some ;)

2001- i graduated from high school with a lot of honors, and a lot of forever friends.

2002- i realized i wasn't cut out to be a biology major- so i changed to psychology. and i loved it.

2003- jesse transferred to Northwestern. little did i know that wierd flirty boy would soon be the love of my life.

2004- i went to Bluefields, Nicaragua on my spring break. i fell in love with the people, and a 11 year old girl named Flor, who told me i should come back and build a house by the childrens' shelter we served at.

2005- all of my best friends in my college class graduated. and it was wierd, because i had another year to go. this was also the last year i was in an organzied band. the summer of, i started dating jesse, my first real boyfriend, never thinking it would turn into something long term.

2006- i studied/interned for a semester in Chicago. i was cold, depressed, had a horrible roomate, ate way too much Popeye's chicken, and spent more time than i would ever desire on the CTA. and i'm really, really glad i had that experience. that summer, i got a job and moved into my first apartment as a college grad. jesse moved in with me and we made a lot of people uncomfortable. it turned out to be one of the best decisions i've ever made.

2007- jesse & i went on our first road trip/long vacation as a couple. i brought a long a camcorder he got me that year for my birthday and we recorded most all of the places we went and people we saw. except for the weekend with my grandparents @ the Atlantic Ocean. also a first.

2008- that was a really tough year. i was working retail, and feeling guilty for quitting Orchard Place and all those kids i couldn't seem to help. i still think of them often, and hope they turned into healthy, stable, young adults. they will forever hold a place in my heart.

2009- 2 of my best friends moved really far away. and i was lonely. but before that happened, we had an awesome camping weekend in okoboji! tenting, boating, making smores- the best things in life, i think. a great time- despite of our tents flooding and fitting 8 people into one hotel room for a night!

2010- what a year. it had it's ups and downs, like any other. but for the first time in my life, i started to feel like a grown up. i dealt with several months of unemployment, and learned how to say no to things i couldn't always afford. i spent the summer watching LOST and making fresh fruit smoothies when i wasn't job hunting. we moved into a new apartment, and i'm having to learn to split time and energy with a 3rd roomate. a lot of family issues again rose to the surface, making me realize once again, some things won't ever change. but depsite all that, i think i've come out clean on the other side. i've had a time to ask forgiveness, and a time of renewal. i still have a long way to go before i reach my "ideal self", but i'm getting there.

so here's to the next 10 years- may they be the best ones yet!!