Where does 10 years go?

I turned 27 this week. I can't figure out where time has gone since I was a senior in high school. I put my shirt on today thinking about how I recently bought it... then I remembered it was the summer before I turned 20.

On my actual birthday, I was thinking about how I swear I was just 17. A nerd in high school, involved in all sorts of activities, worrying about whether it was okay to stay home and go to community college like I really wanted or if I really should start at the university like my dad said... wondering why boys treated me like their sister and certain I would end up a cat lady. Working 35 hours a week, schooling 40 hours a week, sleeping 5, extracurriculars, volunteering and socializing the rest. I was always tired, but it didn't matter. I was always stressed, but my friends felt the same way. Seventeen was tough, but fun. The worst part was worrying about my future and if I was making the right choices and whether I was being judged by my decisions.

I learned quickly that you don't plan life. Life happens. And most importantly, who cares about someone judging. If I'm happy, I'm happy.

Ten years ago, I planned everything I did and it all basically happened. That's sort of how high school works. Once out of high school... life takes over. I got sick and had to work around that. It's hard to let go of the control I thought I had and let life take over. I learned to stop caring what people thought and care about my health. With this in mind, I received my BA, I interned as a journalist, I got married, I got a certificate to work as a medical transcriptionist, I moved to a new town, I worked in the WAY back of television, then I worked in television production, I left television, and now I find myself in the library.

When I was 17, I told myself I was going to study overseas and then work in television and then get married to a Scottish man when I was 17... or be a cat lady, despite my allergies and ill-feelings towards cats.

Turns out, I met my sweetheart right after high school and I prefer writing to television.

Who knows what curveballs life will throw at me in the next 10 years? I only know that 10 years feels like a blink of the eye.