I was 16 years old when the clock changed from 11:59 to 12:00 on January 1, 2000.  I was 26 years old at the New Year moment last week.  Ten Years.  A Decade.  Amazing to think of the life events and milestones one goes through in that amount of time.  And if you’ve been following my blog at all, you’ll know I love milestones.

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2000 I got my driver’s license approximately a month before the year 2000 began, got my first cell phone and first car, my older sister graduated high school, I took the SATs twice, and became really active in the local community theater.

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2001 9/11 happened during the first semester of my senior year of high school.  I was in my AP US History Class, a class that was full of juniors plus me and my friend Kelsey.  We had chosen to wait a year to take it because it was at the same time as our drama class junior year.  On September 11th, all the juniors in our class were gone because there was a career fair at a different high school that they were attending, so the classroom was empty except me, Kelsey, and our teacher Ms. Messiano.  Ms. Messiano had stepped out of the room for something and when she came back she turned on a radio and we listened to reports of the towers falling.  I was 17 years old, but it took several hours before I realized the significance of the events we were listening to.  By lunch, everyone in the school knew what had happened.  My friends and I listened to more reports on the radio in my car and during the last period of the day, we looked up pictures and videos on the internet in the library.  I’ve always been a bit naive, but I think the events of that day really showcased how clueless I was about the world.  I, like most people, never could have imagined an act of such terror and violence occurring in my country and I still don’t understand it.

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2002 I graduated high school, turned 18, got drunk for the first time, and moved to Wilmington to attend college.  I know, drunk for the first time after I’d graduated and turned 18.  I wasn’t kidding when I said I was naive; I’ve been on the under-experienced side of things pretty much my whole life.  Part of me really regrets that I didn’t get wild and crazy during high school, but mostly I’m glad.  I don’t really enjoy being drunk and I kinda like that I’m not like every one else.

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2003 my younger sister graduated high school and my older sister got married, but I can’t think of anything else significant that happened that year.

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2004 my younger brother graduated high school and I moved into my first apartment with one of the most wonderful people I know, Kim Fern.  I love her and miss her!

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2005 I turned 21 years old.  It wasn’t a wild and crazy night.  I remember I had a few drinks, but I don’t think anyone else did and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t drunk.  The main thing I remember about it is that my roommate (Brad- Kim had graduated and moved home to Maryland) and his girlfriend broke up and he came into my room upset and I had to comfort him.  Happy Birthday to me.

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2006 I graduated college, applied to and decided not to go to law school, and moved back home to Burlington to try and decide what I was going to do with my life.

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2007 I moved to Raleigh and took a semester of graduate level English courses as a lifelong education student.  I loved those classes.  Really really loved them.  I wanted to apply to grad school and get a Master’s in English.  I started studying for the GRE and looking into colleges with good programs, but the expense of taking the tests and actually applying to school was too much.  I could have gotten loans to actually attend school, but I didn’t have the money to apply to school.  It sucked.  My younger sister also graduated college this year.

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2008 I began an internship with a wedding coordinator which led to an apprenticeship and eventual coordinator position with another company.  I earned my Association of Bridal Consultants Novice Wedding Consultant distinction and coordinated my first wedding as a lead consultant.  My brother graduated college.  I moved back to Burlington, but continued working in Raleigh and Durham.

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2009 I wrote a book.  I turned twenty-five years old.  My younger sister got married.  I completed my first full-service wedding (meaning I helped the couple plan the event from start to finish, rather than just coordinating what they already had planned).  I started my blog.

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2010 Honestly, not a lot happened this year.  I mean, a lot did, but not a lot that I’ll remember in another decade’s time.  The most significant thing was probably the birth of my best friend’s daughter, Gracyn.  I love that little girl so much!  She’s the most adorable, most loveable, sweetest, happiest, smartest baby I’ve ever encountered.  I had a lot of hopes for 2010, and while I don’t think any of them were fulfilled, I still had a fairly happy year.  I’m not completely satisfied with where I am in life, but I feel more contentment now than I have in a long time.  I know that someday I’ll go back to school and get that Master’s in English.  I know someday I’ll be a full-time wedding consultant.  And I know that someday I’ll hold a bound-copy of my book in my hands, even if it’s through self-publication.  I don’t really want to make 2011 New Year’s Resolutions, because I can’t imagine that I’ll actually follow any of them, but I have more hopes.  I hope that I’ll gain more confidence in myself and my writing so that I can pursue the path to publication and possibly writing a second book (or finishing one of the ones I’ve started!).  I hope that I’ll put myself out there a little more and make new friends and date more people so I don’t feel so alone in this world all the time.  I hope that I’ll continue to grow professionally and financially, so that I can get closer to being out of debt and closer to going to grad school.

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I hope that you all have a fantastic 2011!