A New Year/New Decade

What a difference a decade makes?! In looking forward to a New Year, I had pretty much forgotten about the new decade aspect of it. A friend of mine reminded me of it by posing an interesting question on NYE - where were you a decade ago? It immediately hit me where I was... on 12/31/1999, I was flying back from Spain to Charlotte. I landed here sometime late that evening, and due to the traveling and jet lag, I do believe I was asleep at midnight! I had spent the previous semester studying abroad in Seville, Spain and spent quite a few weekends traveling around the Iberian Peninsula. After the semester was over, I spent 2 weeks traveling around northern Spain (Bilbao, San Sebastian, Barcelona). I still look back at this time as some type of Golden Era in my life, full of new people, new experiences, and a coming into my own. I simply cannot believe that an entire decade has passed by and I haven't made it back to Spain. Then again, I "console" myself by remembering that I have been rather blessed in all the places I have been able to visit since then. In that time between flying home on 12/31/99 and 12/31/09, I: earned a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree, married my high school sweetheart, got my first pet, enjoyed the company of wonderful lifelong friends who are like family, have wonderful relationships with family, have a career in banking, and most importantly... I have hope for the future, and excitement for all the change it will bring (expected and unexpected). 2010 is going to be a terrific year, and the start of an even better decade than the last!