An Ode to 10 Years

One of the "perks" of changing your last name is getting a new passport, even when you're only a few years into your current one. Sigh. The other day I checked the little box on my passport application that said "10 years". To be honest with you, it was a tough decision between if I wanted my passport for 5 or 10 years. 10 years is a long time.

It got me thinking in 10 year increments...

Where was I 10 years ago?

Ah, spring 2004. It was a memorable one. Steve and I were finishing up our last year of highschool. We had become really good friends, almost inseparable, and I so was naive that I didn't see a potential end to the friendship in sight. His hockey season had come to an end and he had decided to move back to Toronto to finish up his last year of high school and graduate with his friends. It was 10 years ago this week that I didn't know when, or if, I'd ever see or hear from him again. (Little did I kJnow...) 

Clearly this was not 18, but it was still a long time ago.

At 18, where did I see myself in 10 years?

It's kind of ironic, in high school I loved visiting Toronto and one day saw myself wanting to live there. No idea why, maybe because it was just something extremely different, something more "glamorous" from where I grew up. Enrolled to begin my undergrad as a Marine Biology major, that thought quickly changed and I had my sights set on being wherever it was warm and wherever I could be close to the water. Also ironic because I never ever pictured a third of the time between graduating and moving to Toronto would be spent living in Alaska. Then again, I also never pictured I'd start dating that boy a year later and then be married to him eight years after that. So much can change in 10 years.

Where do I see myself 10 years from now?

When I recently asked a gentleman how his day was going, he told me, "It's a good day, I'm still above ground." Yes, somewhat morbid, but also a unique outlook on life. In 10 years I hope that I am still enjoying life as much as I am as I write this. In a perfect world, we will both be enjoying what we're doing and we'll have a happy, healthy family (size of course is still up for debate). Maybe we will, maybe we won't, but the important thing is that we're happy and healthy. Being  "above ground" still might help too.

Long story short, ultimately the passport decision came down to the price, the 10 years was just a better deal. Who cares if I'll be almost 40 and have a picture of an almost 30 year old in my passport. Who cares if I put no effort into the picture and it looks more like a mug shot. (I really wish I had of put more thought into the picture.)

My life is different, yet somewhat the same, from what I'd imagined it'd be at 18. Am I surprised with how its turned out so far? No. I'm a determined person, when I set my sights on something, I go for it. Kind of like landing my dream job, and that boy. Am I disappointed with how it turned out? Not a chance, I wouldn't change one decision for a second. I am so happy with how these past 10 years have gone. Cheers to another 10 years!

What were you doing 10 years ago? 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?