When I was in college, my girlfriends and I (lovingly known by the upperclassmen as “The Gaggle”) would sometimes sit together and talk about what we expected or hoped to do during our “decade”: the ten years between age 20 and 30. Now, I am 42 days out from my 30^th birthday and I find myself thinking back over my decade.

During my decade I have:

• Traveled to Russia on missions for 9 weeks
• Completed undergraduate work and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelors of Science in Education
• Completed graduate school and earned my Masters of Arts in Literature, cum laude
• Had two papers on J.R.R. Tolkien’s literature and archetypes published,
• Presented a paper about John Fowles at a local literature conference,
• Dated for the first time,
• Lost three family members to cancer,
• Bought my first car, a white Plymouth Voyager
• Lived in my own apartment, by myself, for three months
• Got married,
• Started teaching full-time,
• Began bellydancing,
• Bought my first house with my husband,
• Traveled to New Orleans (I had never been there before),
• Began blogging,
• Learned to be more honest, with myself and others,
• Earned my Library/Media Specialist addition to my teaching license,

and, last but not least,

• Had my first child.

When I look back on it, I have, honestly, accomplished a great deal, even though it may not feel that way a lot of the time. In fact, I have accomplished everything that we discussed “should” happen in your decade: get married, start a career, buy your first house, start having children…I was rather surprised when I realized that. And, yet, I feel now – with Elizabeth – that my life is only beginning, that is, with a new decade, a brand-new chapter, nay, a brand new book is beginning.

Right now, I plan on going back to work as a teacher in August. However, at the moment, I am thoroughly enjoying being home with Elizabeth and I wouldn’t give up this time for anything in the world. Needless to say, I’m very much looking forward to the summer: sun and warmth and nature with my wonderful husband and my little girl. Now I get to share all those wonderful summer experiences with a new life and continue creating a whole new cache of memories. Can anything be more wonderful than that?