So...
It's one of my favourite interview questions - where do you see yourself in five years? I have no idea what I'll be up to in 2013, but I figure life might have a few less changes in this next period than the last one.
'Cause five years ago I was single, dating but nothing serious, on the cusp of my 30th birthday, living downtown in a rented apartment, going out dancing all the time, jetting down to NYC for a weekend every few months, had a totally different circle of friends, and was devoted, almost to a fault, to my job. I was living the Sex and the City lifestyle, right down to the fabulous accessories and Cosmos by the dozen.
Now I'm much more Desperate Housewives than Sex and the City. In the past five years I met Hubs, bought a car, got engaged, got married, bought a house in the 'burbs, became a step-mother
, watched my nephew and niece be born (not literally, of course), wrote a will, have been to Europe and to Cuba twice, and have seen a complete transition in my circle of friends (one or two exceptions to that rule, but still). And sadly, I haven't been to NYC for almost four years.Sigh.
I still work in the same place but have a better title now, and make significantly more now than I did then. Thank god.
If you'd asked me the question in 2003 I don't think I would have even come close to being right. Sometimes I am just amazed (and delighted) by the trajectory my life has taken.
What do I see for myself five years from now? Well, I fully expect to still be married to my wonderful Hubs, living out in the 'burbs, and quite potentially still working for the same organization. If not, it will be something closer to home to lessen the pain of commuting. My biggest hope is that come 2013 Hubs and I will be the proud parents of a four (or so) year old. But other than that, I don't expect too much to change. Given my age, etc, I think I've done all of my big life changes over the past few years.
Amazing how the road of life can twist and turn like this, but in the end you end up at a rather delightful destination. One you kinda didn't even know was on the map, but how happy you are to get there!
It's funny - in so many aspects of my life I'll plan things down to the last dot. I'm not averse to spontaneity, but I like my surprises in easy to digest, bite sized portions. I am definitely a fan of the even keel.
And despite that, I've never been one to have my entire life planned out. I never thought I'd get married period, let alone by a certain age. While I've always wanted children, due to my issues of the past I've been way too nervous to ever attach a time frame to becoming a mother, so that was out. I always expected to own a home someday but a good part of me thought I'd be living on my own in said house. Well, I wouldn't be completely alone. I do have three cats after all.
Strangely enough, I actually had a much easier time envisioning myself as the crazy cat lady homeowner than wife and potential mother cat lady homeowner.
I definitely prefer wife over crazy.
So how about you? Have the past five years brought what you expected? And how about the next five years - where do you think you'll be in 2013?
Hope you enjoy thinking backwards and forwards. And I hope you've enjoyed the curve balls life's thrown at you as much as I've loved catching mine.
And that's your daily dash. How's your diva doin'?
1 comments on "Life in five year increments"
Hmmm... interesting. I've avoided the WB thread for reasons you can probably figure out ;)
Looking back... 5 years ago I wouldn't have expected to be living in the neighbourhood I grew up in (in the house next door to the one my grade-school "best friend" and her twin brother grew up in)... I wouldn't have expected that I'd leave IT (to work for that same previously mentioned twin brother, oddly enough)... I wouldn't have expected the flooded basements, the car crashes, the insane vet bills, the koi, the other countless heartaches. BUT... 5 years ago I did see myself being married and decently happy in a jointly-owned home... but that's probably because 5 years ago I was 8 months away from the wedding and we were talking about moving *laugh*
I try not to make "5-year plans" any more. Not since my first engagement fell apart, actually. I had a plan then... it got blown to smithereens and one of my ways of coping was to take things one day at a time. Now I 'plan' events and otherwise just let life happen. It's an adventure... but it tends to be less devestating when it inevitably goes off the rails *shrug* Cynical and jaded, perhaps, but that's the view from here ;)
Plans lead to expectations. Reality rarely fails to disappoint (probably because I'm a dreamer at heart). It stings a lot less to just avoid the expectations.
Of course, that does make the career path a little hard to predict and guide ;) I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
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