>I’m inspired by Count Mockula, who wrote a cool post about how her life has changed in the last decade. Here’s the story of my last ten years:

In 2000, I earned my Masters in Public Administration from Columbia, and I began my career in community development, working to build more child care centers to serve low income families in NYC. Also, after a two year engagement, Husband and I get married. I was 24 years old. We moved out of the 200 square foot apartment with no stove or oven that we called home for the prior three years and into a mansion – 450 square feet! Husband leaves his job at Bear Stearns, turns down a job at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center, and enters the world of private equity.

Husband and I went on a belated honeymoon to London. Since I was convinced that I will never have the chance to go again, I insisted that we go to about 40 places a day. We came back to NYC on Sept. 9. Two days later, I stood on the corner of 5th Avenue and 12th Street and watched the World Trade Center burn. A few months later, I was hired by another nonprofit to start a new program dedicated to changing the way child care centers are developed and financed. My grandfather (my mom’s dad) died.

Overall, 2002 is unexciting. Husband and I buy an apartment. It cost $385,000, and is 900 square feet, with a large bedroom, huge living room, dining room, lots of closets, and a separate kitchen. A month later, the building manager sent a memo to all tenants that claims that common charges are rising by 50%, thus rendering the apartment unaffordable for us. I sobbed. Several days later, another memo comes, apologizing for the typo – the price increase is really only 5%. I developed a digestive ailment that prevented me from digesting fat, causing me to lose a lot of weight, smell like shit, and generally look like a zombie. It went away by the end of the year for the most part, and was never diagnosed.

Tycho the giant rabbit comes to live with us in 2003. That’s about all I remember about 2003 and 2004. I was pretty miserable due to the Bush administration destroying anything that was good about the US. The Cubs broke my heart. I discovered that my grandfather’s brother-in-law survived the Holocaust. Husband and I traveled to meet his family in France and Israel.

In 2005, my bestest friend Steph moved to North Carolina for graduate school. New York became 500% more boring. Husband and I celebrated being together for ten years. I joined the Haven Coalition, making two wonderful new friends, Sara and Mara. CUSS & Other Rants debuted Oct. 17, 2005. My cousin moved to New York to attend college. We hung out a lot.

After nearly five years, I burned out and left my job/threw my career into the toilet in Oct. 2006. (Before I quit, though, I went to Sacramento for a training, and met Count Mockula for dinner. My dad freaked out about me getting into a car with someone I met over the internet.) I decided to spend more time writing, and paid the bills with consulting gigs (and Husband’s income). My first freelance articles appeared in Metro New York. I took a crazy internship with a magazine dedicated to selling condos and expensive strollers to rich parents to get more clips. I realized that I am not cut out for magazine work. BlogHer hired me as a Contributing Editor. I attended my first BlogHer conference, meeting the excellent Suebob, who I continue to be shocked that I did not scare away forever. The Mets broke my heart.

In 2007, Husband’s boss started his own company. The good news: great opportunity for Husband! The downside: He has to commute to Connecticut. He obtained a red PT Cruiser to get to work, making me one of those New Yorkers who own a car upon whom I frown. My other bestest friend, Dr. P, moves to Florida for two years for a fellowship. Yet again, New York is 500% less fun. Steph moved back to the region, though, so that was good. The Mets broke my heart. Again.

My first book comes out in 2008! I also am accepted into the MFA program at the New School to study nonfiction after a stint on the wait list. Obama wins the presidency. Who are the Mets?

This past year, I had a disastrous experience re-entering the full-time workforce early on, but then got a much better position by year end. Despite Obama’s victory, I was more depressed by the political situation than ever. Dr. P moved back to New York state! My sister had a baby! My brother-in-law’s wife announced that she is pregnant! Husband and I renovated our apartment and installed a washing machine and dryer!

Throughout the decade, Husband proved me wrong when it came not only to returning to London (which I went to at least five more times), but also travel in general. I visited Argentina, Italy, India, France, Switzerland, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Israel. Husband’s parents took us on a cruise through the Caribbean. In the US, I went to Hawaii, Cleveland, Memphis, San Francisco, LA, various locations in CA, Miami, Orlando, Chapel Hill, Boston, Philadelphia, various locations in upstate New York, Vermont, DC, Delaware, and of course Chicago and Iowa City.

The aughts had a lot of ups and downs, but it was certainly an interesting run. Thanks to everyone (named and unnamed) who made the ups worth so much!

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