Decade in Review

I'm not sure why, perhaps it's out of sheer boredom, perhaps it's my old age, but I feel the need to reflect on the past decade. I liked the way Marsha did this on her blog, so I think I'm going to go with that format!

2000
I was living and working the corporate life in Baltimore. It wasn't the greatest job, but I did make some life long friends while working there. Then, thanks to my friend Kim, I finally scored a job using my undergraduate degree! I moved out of my apartment in the 'burbs and found a great apartment in Fell's Point and started commuting to Annapolis everyday. This is when my love of the Junkies on 99.1 (morning commute) and NPR (afternoon commute) blossomed. This is also the year I started my weight loss of 60 lbs on WW and I really started exercising on a regular basis.

The CO2 field site at SERC. Tough place to work, eh?

2001
Really enjoying my job and the opportunity to do some traveling. Over the next few years I'll get the chance to travel to San Diego, Austin, Albuquerque, Phoenix, southeast Montana, and Charlottesville all on work's dime. Non-work related travel (i.e. friends, weddings, and babies) in this decade takes me to NC, Wyoming, Lake Tahoe, upstate NY, and Florida.

Visiting Lake Tahoe for Julie and Steve's wedding

2002
I bought my house! I got a passport! I traveled to Italy! My friends (i.e. non-family members) start having babies this year. Me? I was living the single life in Baltimore, worming my way through the dating scene.



2003
Okay, I can't really remember anything specific happening this year. If I recall correctly, physically, this was the best year of the noughties. I never looked so good! More friends and family members getting married and having babies. Me? I was living the single life in Baltimore, continuing to date the entire male population of this fine city.



2004
I started working part time at a shop in Baltimore. It was either get a roommate or a PT job. I picked the job. It wasn't so bad and I made some awesome friends. My life consisted of FT job, then either PT job, gym, or happy hour with friends. I did a lot of DIY stuff on the house, like painting and laying my new Pergo floor. I traveled to Ireland for the first time with my cousin and friend. We have a blast! Life is good.

Connemarra, Ireland

2005
Traveled to Ireland again this time with friends who were moving back after their time in the US. Again, it's a blast! Work is going okay, but I'm started to get the itch to move on. I'm thinking about getting my Master's degree in higher ed administration and hopefully working with international students. After weighing the pros and cons, I decide I want to do this degree overseas. It's faster and the cost wouldn't be much different than doing it in the US. I start the research. Oh yeah, and I turned 30 this year. Boo!

My 30th birthday party!

2006
Traveled to England in February with my cousin to visit the uni. Then all within the next 7 months I apply to uni, get accepted, start the process for moving my cats, find tenants for my house, sell my car, put all my stuff in storage, quit my very secure job, and say goodbye to all my friends and family before moving to England! My parents come with me and we get the chance to travel up to Scotland before I have to start my course.

Mom and Dad in Kirkcudbright, Scotland

2007
The kitties come back to the UK with me in January! Yay! I travel to Edinburgh for my birthday in February! Yay! Wes and I have our first date in Oxford the following weekend! Yay! Life now consists of procrastinating (yet somehow finishing) my coursework and Wes either coming to Bath for visits or me going up to Sheffield. We travel to Amsterdam in April for our first vacation together. Wes moves to Dublin for a new position, so now we're becoming quite familiar with Bristol airport and the hatred that is Ryanair. He comes to the US that summer to meet the family. Fortunately, he is not scared away! I successfully finish my course in September and I'm working part time in Bath until I can get a new visa. Right before I go home to the US for Christmas I find out I got a new full time position in Bristol working in my field, and I'll start in January. Woot!

Wes and I in Gettysburg, PA

2008
Living in Bath and commuting to Bristol everyday. Really enjoying the people I'm working with at my new job. I'm given some great opportunities in the position and I'm enjoying it, even if the pay sucks. Wes and I traveling back and forth between Bath and Dublin about once a month. Things are happening quickly and when we're in the US that summer we check out wedding venues. Things are booked, plans are made, rings are purchased, and invitations are sent.

Some of my wonderful work friends on one of those 'Dress Crazy for Charity' days they have in the UK

2009
The is the best and worst year of the noughties! My visa expires and I leave the UK in February. The cats and I stay with Wes in Dublin until I go back to the US for the month before the wedding. On March 30th (while I'm in the US) I get word from the pet sitter (in Dublin) that Obie is sick and on April 1st I find out that he has died. This is the worst day ever, not to mention it's 4 days before the wedding. I miss him loads. :( It's so strange that the best and worst things that happened to me in the entire decade were so close together. The wedding was that weekend and it's a truly wonderful day. It was a tad bit windy, but the sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day, perfect in every way! After the wedding it was back to Dublin and the start of married life. It's been a year of adjustments: living with my husband, starting over in a brand new country again, the stress of not being able to find a job, and the difficulty of making new friends. Struggling with my weight again sucks (gone are the days of soup for dinner) and I really miss my old gyms and instructors.

Obie - RIP 1 April 2009

Best.Day.Ever! 4 April 2009

Hmmm...that sounds like I've left the decade on a bit of a downer. 2009 was a fantastic year, but I'm really looking forward to what 2010 has in store for us. Maybe that's why I'm not really one to reflect on the past like this. It kind of makes me sad and really, I'm just so excited about the future. I remember when my life long friend and I were graduating high school, her mother saying to us how she was excited to see where our lives were going to go from there. Can't wait to see what's next!

Happy New Year! Good health and lots of happiness for everyone in 2010!