Garage

We (well Kris) added shelves in the garage a couple weeks ago. And now my Xmas decorations have a very specific place. I have noticed since though that the shelf has since filled up!

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Decade in Review

Here is my decade in review. It is the past ten years from my perspective.

2000 – It was my sophomore/junior year – full of new experiences and new friends. I had a friend who I did everything with. We are no longer in touch but we had a crazy/fun year. She was always full of ideas. I had my first real bf. I learned quickly that I was stronger than peer pressure and maybe a bit stubborn in my ways.

2001 - That summer I worked two jobs. I think my parents were trying to keep me away from the boy who they thought was a bad influence on me. When in reality I was more of a bad influence on him. He was innocent and always did what I wanted. Anyways – I worked full-time at the school cleaning with one of my best friends. We would really have a blast together – listening to music, having in-depth talks and laughing the day away. I was also a speed daemon. I would speed everywhere I went. Lost my license. Had to take the test to get it back and did not have it for my 18th birthday. Rough.

2002 – Graduated high school – I was scared for what the future held. I had no idea what I was going to do or where I was headed. Compromises were made about schooling and my parents “letting go”. I wouldn’t go home for the longest time. It hurt too much. My best friend and I were inseparable – we formed our own “family” of sorts.

2003 – There was lots of drinking. Lots of growing. Lots of weight gained. Good times were had. My best friend and I had a friend who lived down the street that would come over all the time. He was from Louisiana and it seemed as though he lived with us for as much as he was there. We took our first road trip – and took my little brother with us for “protection”. Decided on Wednesday night that we wanted a vacation and left on Saturday.

2004 – Friendships were broken up. And it hurt. I felt alone and I was moving to Cedar Falls. That summer I moved home – and I told my parents that if I did there would be no rules. Oh my. I partied my summer away. I don’t know how many mornings I met my dad in the kitchen as he was getting up for work and I was just getting home. There were bond fires out at my parent’s house every weekend – lots of friends from high school that I hadn’t seen in years. I became closer to my little sister that summer. She was with me a lot that summer; rocking out. I got my wisdom teeth pulled and braces.

2005 – Things were starting to fall into place for schooling/my future. There was a boy – who was super supportive. I couldn’t have survived Cedar Falls without him. The dorms were rough – for a girl who had lived on her own for two years to move to a floor with freshman girls. I decided on a major and then another major. School was hard – I’d never had to try. And now my grades were dropping because I didn’t know how to study. I decided to take an internship – and had to move. Very hard decision but probably the best one I could have made for myself.

2006 – Moved and took the internship. Met lots of new people and had big goals. I was motivated but had to go back to finish my last semester. I rocked it. The first time I tried in school. Before I left my internship I was offered a full time job to come back after I graduated. I knew going into my last semester I had a job. Greatly reduced the stress but was still the most stressful/hard semester I had. It tore personal relationships apart. I found out how my true friends felt and how goals/people change.

2007 – Being recently single I was ready to move on big. My only goal was to have fun and no worries. I gained friendship with my cousin. We had never been close but we were able to be there for each other. I told my friends that I wouldn’t turn down any guy that wanted to talk to me. I’d always thought in my head what the guy I wanted to be with was like. But I was thinking bigger/broader now. I wasn’t going to judge from looks or the impression. All people are different and maybe someone out there would be more like the guy I wanted instead of just the outer view of the “perfect guy”. I dated a lot of various people. Maybe not “dated”. More like just one date. I was more set on being happy/being me. It was a very personal year. I also bought my house and my cousin moved in with me.

2008 – My best friend got married and it really took a lot out of me. I felt like I was losing her all over again; I could feel that pain. Luckily; that was not the case. Her husband is a very great guy. That summer I partied a lot with some awesome girlfriends. They went through a lot and we were there for each other. We had a blast that summer and never wanted it to end. I bought a sports car at the end of the summer – bc I’m only young once. I also cut a foot of hair. I felt as though I was having my mid-life crisis. At 25 this wasn’t where I had wanted my life to be. Sure goals changed and life happened. But I wanted more.

2009 – I fell in love with a great guy – he’d been around awhile but we’d never gotten to the serious point together. We’d always been on different pages at different times. Now was the time. It was now or never. We took the plunge and tried out the relationship. It was full of new adventures and people. Growing and learning how a relationship is about compromise all over again. Sacrificing for the other person. It was rough at times but well worth the great moments.