Like Alice "Through the Looking Glass"

     So I was sitting here on the eve of my thirtieth birthday thinking about the past ten years of my life.  Yep I'm turning the big three-oh tomorrow!  Enjoying the last few hours of being in my twenties at home with my beautiful little girl!  I'm not sure how I feel about turning thirty yet.  Sometimes its like "Damn I'm getting old!"  Especially since the majority of my friends are younger than me.  Other times I think "It's just going to be another day, so who cares!"  Guess we'll see what happens tomorrow.

     As I think about everything that's happened over the past decade, I realize just how much has happened, how much has changed, things I regret, and things I will always remember.  Everything that has happened has made me the person that I am today.  

     So as a recap of my life the past ten years for you and for myself,  since I'm hitting thirty tomorrow and my memory already sucks, I am writing this blog post. 

• 2001 - I left my teens and turned 20!   Lived in the dorms by myself for the first time.
• 2002 - I became engaged and became legal to drink.
• 2003 - I graduated suma cum laude from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Biology, with a minor in Psychology.  I also got married & started graduate school at The University of Alabama.
• 2004 - Hmmm!  I became a graduate teaching assistant & started thinking about teaching as a career.
• 2005 -   I turned 24 & my car insurance dropped!  Started to really get burnt out on school.
• 2006 - I turned 25!  Traveled to California & presented at the Drosophila Convention.
• 2007 - A very eventful year for me.  I got pregnant.  I graduated from graduate school with my Master of Sciences degree in Cell & Molecular Biology.  I got my first career job.  I finally moved out of the state of Alabama.  I had my first baby, a beautiful little girl that is my world.
• 2008 - My daughter turned one!  Survived my first year of teaching!  Took on a second job to try & make ends meet.
• 2009 - Alabama won the BCS National Championship!  My marriage ended.  Went on happy pills and had some therapy.  First time ever truly living on my own.  My daughter turned two years old.  Got served divorce papers.
• 2010 - Finally started dating again, had two relationships. No longer needed happy pills.  Got my own place to live all by myself.  My daughter turned three.  I had my final divorce hearing and was officially divorced in December.
• 2011 - So far in this year the relationship I started the year with ended.  Financially I am in a hole because my ex-husband is refusing to pay back child support.  Plus the government took my tax refund & put it toward my student loans.  And I've started talking to a new guy who is super nice to me, just sucks that he doesn't live closer.  I mean the first guy to ever text me before 6am (because he knew I would be up)  just to tell me "Good morning beautiful! :)"

Whew!  Now I'm going to go enjoy the last few hours in my twenties curled up in bed & most likely falling asleep! :)  What a long strange trip its been!