Looking back on the past ten years what stands out as being your most important accomplishment? What will you be doing in the next 8 weeks to close out the decade with a bang??

Im sitting here trying to remember what I was doing Jan 1- 2000 and can't- My marriage in 2007 is definitely my most happiest accomplishment thus far. We are planning to do something radical before the end of the year...i'll keep you posted if things go well..

Managing to live and work abroad (first in Canada for two years and then in Japan for one year) feel like two major accomplishments. They've opened up a whole world of possibilities and connections that I still enjoy today.

I'm also proud of my creative work. I've made a series of short films, written several screenplays, had a couple of big photo exhibitions, had a number of articles published etc.

And I'm in a much better place career-wise now than I was ten years ago.

As for the flipside, I think the biggest disappointment is that I don't have a girlfriend. Ten years ago I was probably imagining that I would have started a family by now. But there's still time for that I guess.

And oh, I will be closing out the decade with a trip to Tanzania so that will be exciting.

retina said:

And oh, I will be closing out the decade with a trip to Tanzania so that will be exciting.

cool- will you be going over to kenya for a safari?

Evvy said:

retina said:

And oh, I will be closing out the decade with a trip to Tanzania so that will be exciting.

cool- will you be going over to kenya for a safari?

No, but I'll be going on safaris in Tanzania. I'm hoping Nikon will release a new camera before then but time is running out.

I’ve had a heck of a decade. Actually, 11 years, if we’re counting 2000.

In 2000 I traveled (with 6 friends) abroad for the first time, visiting the UK, France, Italy and the Netherlands. It was a dream-come-true trip for me and the start of my travel bug. I went back many times and have traveled all over the US as well. I’ve still got a long list of places to get to, but this is when it all started.

It hit a very low point in 2005 when my mom had cancer (she survived, thankfully) and I lost my kitty I’d had since I was 11. I went through some serious depression and almost derailed my career over it as well.

I pulled myself out somehow and have come back with a bang in the end of the decade, kicking my nasty smoking habit, losing 50 pounds and running in a 10-mile race – something I never in a million years thought I’d do. I also met a wonderful man and am in a position to contemplate marriage and kids – something else I thought I’d never do.

A week from Friday I fly out to Thailand for 4 weeks. I’ll be staying in Bangkok most of the time, exploring on my own, hanging out with Dan and meeting up with fauxie and Mon (yay!) and I hope to get down to an island or two, maybe say hello to abierman again. I’m gonna take cooking classes and yoga classes and get massages and spa treatments and eat lots and lots of yummy food. Oh – and shop!

I’ll be back in time for Xmas craziness and for New Years a small group of friends and I (including my boyfriend) are planning to rent a cabin in the woods. We’ll cook lots of yummy food and have lots of yummy drinks and build lots of fires and probably play silly games and just generally enjoy the peace and quiet of the woods in the middle of the winter in Minnesota.

I am not real sure of my plans for closing out the decade....but the last 10 yrs I have seen lots of changes.

My girls graduated high school, my eldest got married, I became a Memaw twice to two wonderful little girls Miss Seyhan and Miss Zoey. I decided to go back to school and earn my B.S. in legal studies, something I never thought I would do. I have had ups and downs, loss of friends, making new ones. It's been quite a ride for sure.

Evvy said:

Looking back on the past ten years what stands out as being your most important accomplishment? What will you be doing in the next 8 weeks to close out the decade with a bang??

Im sitting here trying to remember what I was doing Jan 1- 2000 and can't- My marriage in 2007 is definitely my most happiest accomplishment thus far. We are planning to do something radical before the end of the year...i'll keep you posted if things go well..

Wow. I haven't thought about it being a decade now. Thanks for this thread or I wouldn't even have thought about it.

Shit. It's been quite a decade for me. But okay so wait.....Jan 2000, is that they year Prince did the rave special??? Or would that be Jan 99? It's confusing.

Anyways, 2000-2011 I went from 21-32 years old. I managed to build my family in that time, and find who I thought I was. Then strip it all down and change it IMMENSLEY in the past year.

There were so many happy moments in the last 10 years, overall I'd have to rate the past decade as an 8.

Obviously the main 2 events were the birth of Noah and Daisy. OMG the joy they have given me, I cannot imagine life without those two little birds. Such fantastic kids, with SUCH personalities!

Other main events were

Moving out of my parents home

Getting married

My Dad passing away

Buying my first car

Buying my first (2) homes

Making so many great new friends (After highschool friends )

Getting Divorced

Learning I CAN

The next 8 weeks are absorbed with getting ready for baby number 3 and buying another home. This time in MY name!

That reminded me, Dani - I bought my own home too, all by myself. Another thing I never thought I'd do!

Let's see: Since 2001...

* I ended a really toxic relationship that had lingered for too long

* I sank into a major depression

* I came out as gay to family and friends

* I became a father

* I watched my dad die of Alzheimer's

* I got myself fired from a job for the first time in my life

* I got myself kicked out of grad school

* I was gonna kill myself, but the logistics unraveled

* I was finally hospitalized and diagnosed with severe depression

* I was released and began preparations, again, to kill myself after certain business was taken care of

* I found new work

* I bought a house, renovated it for my wife and daughter, got all my money and affairs in order

* I was gonna kill myself again... but something stopped me

* I got aggressive careerwise, worked for a few area publications and ultimately did a career jump from journalism to library science

* I decided to leave the United States, go back to grad school and pursue theological work in Canada

* I graduated

* I somehow managed to end up alive, family intact and relatively happily by the end of this all

There, but for the grace of God, go I.

I plan to close out the decade primarily in three ways: 1) Taking a trip to Maui in December, where I'd like to steal a bit of solo time to do some introspection/decompressing; 2) initiating the Canadian citizenship process; 3) pinning down an approach to finish doctoral work.

New years 1999/2000 I was at a party at my aunts house. I missed a lot of it due to taking a random old lady to the hospital. That's probably the best good-deed i've done in the past 10 years

10 years ago I was 22. I had an awesome job, drove awesome cars and lived an awesome life without kids and responsibility.

I got married in 2003, had my first child in 2004 and 2nd child in 2006. Life has remained pretty awesome, but with a few hiccups along the way.

2011 will see my son in full-time school giving me more time to be me, rather than just my kids mum. I haven't yet decided what to do with myself.... it's a bit scary actually.

I will be away new years eve - in a cottage in the middle of Wales with my family and friends.

retina said:

And oh, I will be closing out the decade with a trip to Tanzania so that will be exciting.

Awesome! I may being going there in Summer 2012. What's taking you there?

Lammastide said:

Let's see: Since 2001...

* I ended a really toxic relationship that had lingered for too long

* I sank into a major depression

* I came out as gay to family and friends

* I became a father

* I watched my dad die of Alzheimer's

* I got myself fired from a job for the first time in my life

* I got myself kicked out of grad school

* I was gonna kill myself, but the logistics unraveled

* I was finally hospitalized and diagnosed with severe depression

* I was released and began preparations, again, to kill myself after certain business was taken care of

* I found new work

* I bought a house, renovated it for my wife and daughter, got all my money and affairs in order

* I was gonna kill myself again... but something stopped me

* I got aggressive careerwise, worked for a few area publications and ultimately did a career jump from journalism to library science

* I decided to leave the United States, go back to grad school and pursue theological work in Canada

* I graduated

* I somehow managed to end up alive, family intact and relatively happily by the end of this all

There, but for the grace of God, go I.

I plan to close out the decade primarily in three ways: 1) Taking a trip to Maui in December, where I'd like to steal a bit of solo time to do some introspection/decompressing; 2) initiating the Canadian citizenship process; 3) pinning down an approach to finish doctoral work.

Sounds like quite a journey. And look how it's all turned around.

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction."
Albert Einstein

Wow! Been so busy the past few years, I had not thought about the end of the decade and how to ring in a new decade.

A lot has changed in my life since 2000.

Too much to list and when I sit down to think about, it all seems a bit crazy tbh.

So, I will end the decade being thankful for the changes and the lessons learned.

I know that in 2000 I had not planned on having a child by the end of the decade or living abroad.

I don't know....all I do know is that the last 10-11 years of my life has sucked ass.

In 1999 I turned 30 and got divorced.

Now I'm 41 and can't believe I haven't re-married.

Each year just seemed to get worse than the year before....

I've had a million jobs. Been on a million dates with guys.....

I too, have struggled with depression.

BUT!! Things are lookin up for the kid!!

I just took a new job makin more money, in a new city where hopefully there will be plenty of fine azzz men!!!

I don't know what I will be doin when I ring in 2011 cuz my life is too unpredictable and messy.

So I will have 2 just wait and see

Evvy said:

Looking back on the past ten years what stands out as being your most important accomplishment?

Becoming a better person.

What will you be doing in the next 8 weeks

The same things I always do. But, having done them over and over again, I - of course - am always getting more proficient.

So, I'll be doing the usual, but better. Stronger. Faster. :steveaustin:

I sure listened to a lot of records during the last 10 years.

Lammastide said:

retina said:

And oh, I will be closing out the decade with a trip to Tanzania so that will be exciting.

Awesome! I may being going there in Summer 2012. What's taking you there?

It's a vacation / photo trip. I've been promised a future exhibition by a gallery so I'll be taking lots of pictures with hopes of being able to produce at least a dozen or so high-enough quality shots. Somehow I have a feeling that the urban shots of people going about their daily lives will be a lot more interesting than the safari shots, but we'll see.

I'll let you know later if it was a good destination to go to or if I staggered home with 1387570 mosquito bites and 12 tropical diseases. lol

Oh Wow. it didn't even occur to me we are starting a new decade so soon

Well, we started a new decade a year ago already. I think it was already pointed out, though.

novabrkr said:

Well, we started a new decade a year ago already. I think it was already pointed out, though.

retina said:

Lammastide said:

Awesome! I may being going there in Summer 2012. What's taking you there?

It's a vacation / photo trip. I've been promised a future exhibition by a gallery so I'll be taking lots of pictures with hopes of being able to produce at least a dozen or so high-enough quality shots. Somehow I have a feeling that the urban shots of people going about their daily lives will be a lot more interesting than the safari shots, but we'll see.

I'll let you know later if it was a good destination to go to or if I staggered home with 1387570 mosquito bites and 12 tropical diseases. lol

Good luck.

I may be going for mission work, assisting in school builds and elementary education for a few weeks. It's an expensive undertaking, though. I hope it works out.

novabrkr said:

Well, we started a new decade a year ago already. I think it was already pointed out, though.

HUH????

This is all too much for me.

The 2000's started out pretty rough, but has been maybe the best of my life.

I finally learned how to live my life & take care of myself. I still have a long way to go.

Okay here's how it goes:

2000 - the first year of the decade

2001 - the second year of the decade

2002 - the third year of the decade

2003 - the fourth year of the decade

2004 - the fifth year of the decade

2005 - the sixth year of the decade

2006 - the seventh year of the decade

2007 - the eighth year of the decade

2008 - the ninth year of the decade

2009 - the tenth year of the decade

2010 - the first year of a new decade

2011 - ... and so on...

It's like 1990 was the first year of the 90's and not 1991 . According to that manner of thinking, 1990 would have been the last year of the 80's.

novabrkr said:

Okay here's how it goes:

2000 - the first year of the decade

2001 - the second year of the decade

2002 - the third year of the decade

2003 - the fourth year of the decade

2004 - the fifth year of the decade

2005 - the sixth year of the decade

2006 - the seventh year of the decade

2007 - the eighth year of the decade

2008 - the ninth year of the decade

2009 - the tenth year of the decade

2010 - the first year of a new decade

2011 - ... and so on...

It's like 1990 was the first year of the 90's and not 1991 . According to that manner of thinking, 1990 would have been the last year of the 80's.

Lammastide said:

retina said:

It's a vacation / photo trip. I've been promised a future exhibition by a gallery so I'll be taking lots of pictures with hopes of being able to produce at least a dozen or so high-enough quality shots. Somehow I have a feeling that the urban shots of people going about their daily lives will be a lot more interesting than the safari shots, but we'll see.

I'll let you know later if it was a good destination to go to or if I staggered home with 1387570 mosquito bites and 12 tropical diseases. lol

Good luck.

I may be going for mission work, assisting in school builds and elementary education for a few weeks. It's an expensive undertaking, though. I hope it works out.

Expensive for whom? Do they make you pay your own way entirely? If you're working for free you'd think the church would at least offer you a room and a couple of meals a day.

Either way it's very noble of you to consider helping with such a good cause.

novabrkr said:

Okay here's how it goes:

2000 - the first year of the decade

2001 - the second year of the decade

2002 - the third year of the decade

2003 - the fourth year of the decade

2004 - the fifth year of the decade

2005 - the sixth year of the decade

2006 - the seventh year of the decade

2007 - the eighth year of the decade

2008 - the ninth year of the decade

2009 - the tenth year of the decade

2010 - the first year of a new decade

2011 - ... and so on...

It's like 1990 was the first year of the 90's and not 1991 . According to that manner of thinking, 1990 would have been the last year of the 80's.

So a decade is only 9 years long??

Kidding, I get it now.

novabrkr said:

Okay here's how it goes:

2000 - the first year of the decade

2001 - the second year of the decade

2002 - the third year of the decade

2003 - the fourth year of the decade

2004 - the fifth year of the decade

2005 - the sixth year of the decade

2006 - the seventh year of the decade

2007 - the eighth year of the decade

2008 - the ninth year of the decade

2009 - the tenth year of the decade

2010 - the first year of a new decade

2011 - ... and so on...

It's like 1990 was the first year of the 90's and not 1991 . According to that manner of thinking, 1990 would have been the last year of the 80's.

Only if the first year was year zero, and I don't expect that it was. Generally we count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Still I see your point, how could 2000 be the last year of the 1900's? Makes no sense, but 10 is the end of the first 10 numbers, 11 is the start of the next 10, and so on.