It was just yesterday!

This week marks 20 years since I graduated from Spruce Creek High School.  Yes. You read

Class of '93.
I haven't changed a bit, right?

that correctly. Two decades.  I know. I can't believe it either.

While you are recovering from that shock, I thought I would share some of the thoughts that have been floating around in my brain as I knew this anniversary approached.  

First, a few surprises:

• I'm not exactly where I thought I might be career-wise.  I thought I would be a music teacher.  I left high school and entered college as a music therapy/music education double major.  Somehow the music ed degree was left behind.  That being said, I still work in education. I guess it's not that much of a stretch.
• I did, however, think I would do more with math.  I loved math. I still love math. Yeah, I'm that kind of weirdo.  I ended up minoring in math in college, thinking that with the aforementioned music education degree, I would always have a way to teach in the schools.  I would be, as my mother likes to say, marketable.  I still work with numbers, mainly with budgets, but I haven't done any real calculus in over 15 years.  
• I was always very active in church when I was younger.  I was even ordained a Deacon during my senior year.  I would never imagine that 20 years later, my relationship with the church would be a little different.  i still go to church every once in a while, but my spiritual comfort comes from other sources these days.
• I thought I would marry a Republican.  Those of you who know me well are laughing your ass off right now.  But it's true.  I dated a guy for over three years who was a gun-toting, card carrying member of the NRA. I still thought we were going to get married.  Clearly, that didn't last.
• I don't miss Florida that much. It's nice to visit but I love real seasons and I love living in Virginia.  I do miss my year-round tan, though. 
• I thought I would have more children by now.  Yeah. Life kind of got in the way on that one.  I don't think we're done with parenting yet but I have definitely been on hiatus for a little while. 
• In 1993, I was still emerging from my teenage self.  Parents were still part of the Evil Empire.  Twenty years later, I not only respect my mother as a parent, I value her as a friend.  
• Since my career path was not destined for writing, I never dreamed that I would write a book AND publish it.  I also never thought I would be a business owner.  Both ventures have taught me so much and given my life interesting experiences.  
• When I graduated from college, I was fluent in Spanish.  I then went to college in Miami so my bilingual skills continued to get a workout.  Twenty years later? Not so much.  I can plod my way through the most basic of conversations, but most of it is all Greek to me now!

With all of those surprises, it was interesting to see, though, that some things didn't change.  

• The people who I counted as my close friends 20 years ago? They are still in my life, even across the miles. I am grateful for that.
• I love my job! I knew a long time ago that I would not be happy in life if I wasn't doing what I loved.  Perhaps it wasn't what I originally thought my career choice would be, but I think I'm in the right place.   
• I thrive on staying busy. In high school, I was in a lot of clubs, extracurricular activities, and an intensive International Baccalaureate academic program.  I learned that I not only survived but thrived on that energy.  A quick glance at my calendar any week of the year would confirm that not much has changed.
• Life is about helping others. Let's face it, I wasn't destined to become a rich investment banker or an advertising executive.  (By the way, there is nothing wrong with those professions. They're just not for me.)  Service to others was a value instilled in me from an early age.  I never dreamed I would start and run my own nonprofit, but I somehow knew I would always work helping the less fortunate in some way.
• I'm happily married to my best friend.  Ok, so it's not the Republican I dated in high school. In fact, he's pretty far from it.  Fortunately, we found each other.  Once we latched on, we just couldn't let go.  

As I look at my senior yearbook, I think about the theme for that year: Exactly the same, but totally different.  In many ways, that's how I feel about the passage of these twenty years.  While so much has changed, there are constants that keep me both grounded and reflective.  The passage of time may alter the future that we expect, but I think the truly important things in our lives rarely change.