1999-2009: A Decade

A blog post about the past decade seems pretty ridiculous. We could all write books about our lives over the course of 10 years. But my past 10 years saw me through the ages of 25-35 and those that lead up to having a child. I believe that the past decade will be one of the most transformative of my life.

I grew up. I moved around. I must have gone on a thousand dates and fell "in love" over and over and over again. I spent a large part of the last 10 years thinking about what my life would be like when I finally found my life partner. And while it would be easy to say that everything that really mattered happened in the last few years after I did find him, it wouldn't be the truth because without all of that moving, dating, wandering and daydreaming, I wouldn't be here today - married to the man of my dreams and raising the most perfect little boy in the world.

Looking back at the 25 year old Marni, I am very proud of what I've seen and done - with a few exceptions, of course - and hope that my baby boy is able to experience what I have and a million times more with his eyes wide open and scared of nothing. I have great fears about our world in the next 10 years and I'm definitely guilty of trying to push those thoughts out of my brain in order to focus on the positive because I look at Daniel and can't imagine anything but a blessed and beautiful life - one like I have had. I can only wish for him what I had - the best parents I could ask for, a sibling who I adore, admire and who always has my back, incredible and devoted friends who have, and will, last a lifetime and a specific curiosity about life which will enable him to move through the world free of restraints with the knowledge that he can and will accomplish anything he wants. That's how I was raised and that's how I hope to raise my son.

I was going to post few snapshots... kind of like "my life in pictures", but as I browsed through some of the 13,000 pictures (literally) in my iPhoto file, I quickly realized that the last decade is so much more than some pictures of me in different places. I saw my friends going through marriage, pregnancy and parenthood. I saw my family and our incredibly strong bond year after year. I also saw from a bird's eye view the struggles that we all went through over the last decade. I saw pictures that were taken during really hard times for me and for those that I care about and I am reminded of how strong we all are and what we can get through with the help of family and friends. I started the decade quite naive (and I still am in so many ways) and while I'm a very different person now than I was 10 years ago and I often wish that I could get that 25 year old girl back. But, again, if she were still here, I wouldn't be.

So here's the abridged snapshot in words, rather than pictures...

1999-2009:
Moved to San Francisco
Met amazing friends and snowboarded my ass off
1 apartment, 3 different roommates, 1 job
9/11
Moved back to New York
Started my career in advertising sales
1 apartment, 6 different roommates (wowzers), 4 jobs
Completed an Olympic-size triathlon
Dated most of New York
Went further into debt
Got out of debt
Fell in love with a friend
Got engaged
Moved to Jersey
Got married
Got pregnant
Had a baby
Became a mother (and still become more of one every single day)
Started a blog

We'll see what comes next.

Happy New Year!