The Lost Years

Ok, so they weren't actually lost, they just weren't documented on le blog. (Yes, you should read that like the bit in the "End of the World" animation where the French lady won't fire the missiles because she's "le tired".) It's crazy to think of everything that's happened since my last post in 2007; I'm in a completely different place than where I was or ever imagined I'd be. And that's good! Just speaking of my professional life alone, the past two years have brought changes that were very unwelcome - and others that were fantastic - but in retrospect I wouldn't change a thing.

(During class one day my twelfth grade English teacher said that a friend asked her what she would change about her life if she could go back and do things differently; she replied, "absolutely nothing". Even at 18 years I remember being totally awed. Really? Nothing?! But of course, if you could change things, you wouldn't be the person you are today, and I rather like the person I am today.)

Sure, a higher-paying job in a field I'm actually interested in would be brilliant, but if I had that, would I be able, in good conscience, to quit that job to go on a 2-month backpacking honeymoon around Europe? I'm not sure. I don't like my current job, but giving it up come July won't be too difficult...and if I wasn't so frustrated with it to begin with, I might not have the Etsy shop that gives me the challenge, excitement, and creativity that data entry so tragically lacks. So yeah - all in all, I'm quite happy with where I am now.

But where exactly is that, you ask? Let's see, on the first of May 2007, I was:

• living in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, with two musical theater majors, in a room that sometimes smelled vaguely of cat pee
• working tirelessly yet exuberantly at the Tribeca Film Festival
• single

On the 22nd of April 2010, I am:

• living in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, with my fiance, in an apartment with sunlight and plants and a park two blocks away
• working diligently but spiritlessly at a legal media firm as a data entry rep in the newspaper subscriptions department
• 2.6 months away from marrying my favorite person in the world (aww)

In between, I:

• started dating my favorite person in the world
• went to Germany, Spain, and Belgium for the first time
• left Tribeca
• went on unemployment
• went to California for the first time
• started working at Barnes & Noble
• got an amazing job at Human Rights Watch
• got engaged
• watched the Madoff scandal unfold
• lost an amazing job at Human Rights Watch (due to the Madoff scandal)
• kept working at Barnes & Noble
• started temping
• started temping at my current job
• went to my brother's wedding
• opened my Etsy shop
• got hired at my current job
• opened another Etsy shop with my soon-to-be-mother-in-law

You win some, you lose some. I'll take a boring job any day, as long as I've got my guy, my family, my home, and my beads. And a little time to travel... ;)

from Doyle & Doyle