The one about how it's been a decade

If you had asked me, on graduating from high school, where I hoped to be in ten years, I would have told you something like this:

1. Teaching
2. Married
3. A mommy
4. Owner of a horse ranch

Okay, so with the exception of the horse ranch (which, thankfully, it turns out is something I'd really prefer not to have after all), I was pretty spot on. 

It's difficult to look back and imagine the person I was the day I graduated high school.  I am both completely different, and perfectly the same in so many ways. 

The wall of seniors in Mr. Tonelli's room. (You kinda have to be a Columbine kid to get this one.  As of three years ago, it's still there!)  Can you spot me?

A little wiser.  A little less naiive.  Definitely more seasoned.  If you can believe it, I didn't even drink coffee until college, so clearly I've changed in some ways.  But I'm also still me: driven, planner, a little OCD.  Still pretty black and white when it comes to the things I believe are valuable, right and important. 

But those are no longer the most important adjectives I would use to describe myself.

I had it right.  Even at 18. 

The most important adjectives are the ones I've already listed: Teacher, wife, mommy.  These are the roles I treasure.

This weekend marks my ten year high school reunion.  In six more months, I will have spent every one of those days over the last ten years with my husband. 

Whatever anyone else says, I always felt like I dreamed big.  Those adjectives I dreamed for myself always were the very best of who I was. 

Ten years later, those roles are the very best of who I am.  And somehow, miraculously, all my dreams have come true.