10 years

Mary over at The Mountains Are Calling talked about the 10 year "challenge" that has been circulating around on social media the last week or so where you post a picture of yourself from 10 years ago and one of yourself from now.  She mentioned that she really feels that it is a ageist thing, or something to make you feel bad about yourself if you look older (you're going to!) or bigger (again, a very real possibility).  So she decided to "flip" it, where she listed things that she has done in those 10 years rather than how she looked. 

I actually have enjoyed seeing the old photos of my friends compared to now.  I think many of my friends and family look the same, of course they look younger, but then we were all younger 10 years ago. 

This was Thanksgiving 10 years ago.

This was from a month ago.

Honestly, I think I look better.

But I do like Mary's idea of talking about the accomplishments that I've done in 10 years.  I mean I didn't hike the Pacific Crest Trail like she did, but I still feel mine are worth mentioning.  😉

I worked my first harvest (2009)*
I had a baby (2011)
I started running (2012)
Went to Disneyland (2013)
I got my finances under control (2014)
I ran 2 marathons (2015 & 2017)
I finished the Washington Half & Full Marathon series (2017) with 3 half and 1 full (I actually ran 4     halves that year, but only 3 counted)
My son graduated high school (2017) (which is his accomplishment, but I was there)
I lost my Mom (2018) (not an accomplishment, but still huge in my life)
I bought my own car (2018)
I started graduate school (2018)
Went to Hawaii and Alaska (2019)
Ran Ragnar (2019)
I became a Mamaw (2019)

*I grew up on a farm, but could never work harvest because I am so allergic to wheat dust.  In 2009, for whatever reason, I was able to work it (as long as I stayed out of the fields as much as possible and kept the windows rolled up all the time . . . and took a lot of allergy meds).