In 2009, I was fresh from college, working as the Technology Marketing Director at the Monroe-West Monroe Convention & Visitors Bureau. I was juggling this full time job and launching my store on Antique Alley in my spare time. When I think about how much has went down in these 10 years, I’m blown away. I also love how much of this is chronicled here in this online space.

I opened my store, left my full-time job to run it, and then sold it 5 years later. 

I started my real estate business and helped people buy and sell so many houses. 

I dated 4 different dudes (some better than others) and one was really, really bad. I got married, then divorced. 

I lived in 5 different houses, a condo, a duplex, and even a camper trailer for a bit. One of these houses flooded (sending me to a camper trailer) and another was bought from me to build a fire station. 

I had four different cars, one of which I still love. 

I began investing in real estate and renovated 9 houses.

I acquired debt, and then paid it off. 

I traveled to so many different places. I wouldn’t even be able to count.

I went to therapy and learned a little bit about boundaries and a whole lot about who I am and why. 

I had a few flaky friendships and yet I’ve been with my ride-or-dies for this whole span. 

I navigated cancer with my mom + a ton of other stuff.

Just in the last year, I broke completely and began the hard, hard work of putting myself back together. 

Most noticeably, I stopped dying my gray hair and quit wearing eyeliner on the bottom. Progress, you guys. 

When I look at this list and think of all of the small and large things that aren’t even listed, I’m amazed by two things. First, this is A WHOLE LOT to have done in just ten years. At one point in my life, ten years felt like an eternity. Not so much anymore. Taking a second to look at how much changed in the last ten years, gives me so much hope for the next ten. I would have never imagined I’d be where I am today in 2009, so I probably can’t envision where I’ll be in 2029 either. I can just see from this list that the opportunities are wide open, and I better get busy!

Secondly, I can see that a lot of these occurrences were in the last five years, especially the bigger, more life-changing ones. This could be because I remember those more vividly and I’ve forgotten or moved past things from the earlier years. It could also be because I’ve gained the courage to make bigger moves as I’ve grown older. As I look at this, I wonder — what big moves will I make in the next five or ten years? Will they be even bigger than the last ones? Maybe, just maybe, I’m settling in to who I am and who I want to be. Maybe, this next decade will look even more impactful and drastic. I’m ok with that. 

Looking at this list, it’s pretty easy to see how quickly ten years can fly right by you. It doesn’t feel like that long ago that I was wearing skirt suits and pantyhose to my job at the CVB, and I was clocking in every day. Now, I’ve been self-employed for over ten years, and I’m wearing a Tommy Hilfiger sweatshirt today. Jokes on you pantyhose! Seriously though, it seems as if time only speeds up as we go along, so I truly better get moving. 

As I look at this list of happenings from 2009 to 2019, I think of dreams that were alive in me in those years that I haven’t chased yet. I ask myself how I’ll feel in 2029 if I still haven’t acknowledged those. If I come back to you ten years from now, what am I going to want to see on that recap? I think I should write these things down. I see here on this page how much can get done and be changed in a ten year span. It truly seems as if nothing is off limits. 

As I make plans for 2020, I’m putting together some resources to share with you all, in case you’d like to make some bold moves in this next decade too. I was told once, to always be happy with my life and yet never satisfied. I think that’s where my mind is today. I’m happy with where the last ten years landed me and yet not satisfied to stop here. I want more. I want more for you, too. I intend to push for that and I’m looking at 2020 as my jumping off point. Maybe you’ll want to join me.

As we see all these photos of people from ten years ago, I encourage you to spend some time thinking about what all transpired in the last ten years for you. More importantly, what do you want to see come true in the next ten? Let’s use this for more than just a chance to laugh at each other’s bad hair. Let’s use these side by side photos as a chance to evaluate where we’ve been and where we want to head next. If you want it to, your world can be entirely different in this next decade, and maybe even in this next year. What do you want to do in this next ten years? What will you do in 2020?