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November 1, 2003

Today is my 20 year anniversary with the Navy!

And in honor of that, I am going to steal the current blog meme (sort of like a toy/fad).

20 years ago:
Graduated high school
Turned 18
Left my house in the wee hours of the morning of November 1st for bootcamp in Orlando, Florida

15 years ago:
Turned 22
I returned from being stationed in the Philippines (with Los Angeles, CA before that)
Was in a very serious relationship that only lasted one more year
Went through 12 weeks of psychiatric technician schooling
Got stationed in Newport, Rhode Island

10 years ago:
Was living in Jacksonville, Florida
Turned 28
Had just married my college bestfriend
Was starting my senior year of nursing school
Had just begun the most difficult period of my life due to my husband's (unknown then) mental illness

7 years ago:
Was 31 years old
Living in Whidbey Island, Washington
Had a fabulously smart 2 year old son
Was hugely pregnant with son number two and excitedly planning his homebirth
Recieved a national award for Navy Junior Nurse of the Year
Was starting a very scary slide out of control with husband's mental illness

5 years ago:
33 years old
Was stationed in Guam and loving it
Miserably married and separated for all intents and purposes
Had two great kids who were fearless in trying everything set before them
Spent a fantastic week in Cannes, Australia

3 years ago:
Living in Vancouver, Washington
35 years old
Had just come out of an extremely stressful time with husband's third psychotic break
Divorce was a mere month away
Was working as a Navy Medical Programs Recruiter in Portland, Oregon
Had a fantastic part time job at a birthcenter

2 years ago:
36 years old
Still in Vancouver
Was hugely pregnant with an unexpected but very welcome baby
Planning a homebirth again
Hating my job with every fiber of my being

1 year ago:
Had just finished cleaning up the aftermath of my exhusband's fourth psychotic break
Still high from the most fantastic birth and the most gorgeous baby
Was in transit to Sicily with three little boys!

Today:
38 years old!
I will be working a twelve hour shift at a tiny little hospital in Sicily
My children will be recovering from Halloween sugar highs
I will have them choose ten pieces of candy to eat over the next week and put the rest away for rationing
Easily the happiest and most confident that I have ever been
Growing into this parenting thing more smoothly now
Actively planning my retirement in November 2005 although still frustratingly ambivalent about it
At peace with the idea (fact?) that I am comfortable being alone for the forseeable future

Tomorrow:
Work another twelve hours
Type up a memo requesting to move to a business hours clinic position
Rejoice in the fact that I will probably be moved shortly after the New Year
Promise that I will work on my extra assigned duties instead of goof off
Begin to hope and pray that the physical fitness test I have to run on Monday will not kill me this time either

Things yet to accomplish:
Retire!
Declutter my house ruthlessly
Go back to dairy free diet
Buy property in Southern Illinois
Do as many things from scratch as possible
Learn to make soap, garden, spin wool, cook
Have a variety of animals, especially cat, dog, chickens and sheep
Homeschool my boys
Become a massage therapist?
WRITE!
Travel
Volunteer

Posted by DebC at November 1, 2003 9:50 AM

Comments

Posted by: Dad at November 1, 2003 12:08 PM

Posted by: MOM at November 1, 2003 2:22 PM