Two minutes from midnight. The last two of my 30’s. But whoa, what a decade!!
Consider this: 10 years ago I had never left the country, hated sushi, and had no idea what was ahead. Here’s a lesson in simply being a kid forever:
In 1998 I was living in Arizona getting by on small change and family favors. I met a friend, Michelle Ray, who would unknowingly change the course of my decade. She moved to San Francisco and when I went to visit her, ten years ago, I found a new world. I soon moved to SF which began a course of events that, looking back, is quite staggering. (Disclaimer: while I certainly had some downers in the last decade, I’m choosing not to list them here. Life is too short…)
Major Events:
- Moved to San Francisco, October 1999 where I lived for 5 years
- Married October 19, 2002
- Graduated with BA from San Francisco State University – July 2004
- Moved to Provo UT for grad school, August 2004
- Lived temporarily in Madrid Spain Summer 2005
- Lived temporarily in Sacramento CA Summer 2006
- Lived temporarily in Washington DC Summer 2006
- Lived in Budapest Hungary fall and winter of 2006
- Graduated MA from Brigham Young University April 2007
- Lived in Mesa summer 2007
- Moved to Washington DC to work at National Geographic 2007
SOME of the great friends I met in the last decade:
Michelle & Greg, Albert & Azu, Mark & Paula, Ben & Steph, Will & Traci, Angie & Hyrum, Todd & Jackie, Neylan & Eliot, Jeff Le, Russ T., Stephen, Andrew…to mention only a FEW.
This was also a big decade for family. After losing my Father in 2001, I built new, deeper relationships with my sisters, my brother, my mother, and my new extended family Jay, Susan, Reini, Naomi, Chris, and AJ. Two new nephews and a niece born, and lots of friends’ babies, including Lincoln, Luke, Sophie, Marcel.
Countries Visited - 15
England
Spain
Portugal
Mexico
Italy
Hungary
Romania
Croatia
Slovenia
Slovakia
Austria
Poland
Switzerland
Germany
France
Lost passports with all of my stamps – 1
Favorite travel-related event:
(seriously, I have to pick? How about 3)
1 – Walking the Camino in Spain with my sweetheart
2 – Happening upon the Tunos on the streets of Grenada Spain with my brother
3 – Discovering Europe for the first time with my mom
Funniest Night Out:
Albert’s birthday in San Francisco – Valentine’s “How’d you do that!!”
Funniest anecdote:
“The Ted Line”
Random Pleasant Surprise:
Unexpected bagpipe parade in La Guarda Spain
Best memory:
So many to choose from, but probably the wedding reception.
Biggest Thrill:
Finding my way from Hungary to Milan Italy and St. Moritz Switzerland–and back–by myself in a weekend using seven trains, two planes, four busses, 1 boat, and a night in Italy with a landlady who only spoke Italian.
Strangest place:
Budapest Riots, 2006
Proudest moment:
Speaking at my BYU graduation.
Most in my creative “zone”:
Filming “an iPhone in Paris”
Favorite academic accomplishment:
Presenting a research paper in Paris in 2007
Proudest event that I didn’t do:
Hearing “I passed” when Robin saw her bar results
Favorite saying:
“Always follow the bagpipes!”
Favorite sound:
The ringing cable cars at night in San Francisco
Favorite smell:
Springtime in Washington DC
Favorite food:
Seafood soup and fresh bread in northern Spain.
Runner up: Bruschetta in Rome
Biggest Surprise:
That life can truly be so fun.
What a decade! (click on the images to see more info).
Happy Birthday Scottie! What a fun post. I’m glad I’ve been able to share a good portion of this decade with you!
Wow Scott! What an incredible decade. It was fun to see the list of accomplishments. You certainly lived life to the fullest. Best wishes for the next 10 years. I know they will be full of more exciting adventures!
Hey Scott — Happy belated birthday! What an honor to be mentioned among your memorable friends from the past amazing decade. You guys are certainly on our list too. Congrats on a fabulous ten years. We love you.