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Thoughts at the end of a decade

The first half of this decade was all about working hard, earning lots of money and spending it all (well a good proportion) on fantastic holidays.  

As a result of that mentality, in this decade I visited so many countries and continents.  Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest Coast, Florida, Michigan, San Fransisco, Las Vegas, Australia, Singapore, Dubai, Ireland, Ibiza, Multiple trips to Italy and then European City breaks with my friend to Portugal, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Italy again (yep it’s my favourite country in case you were wondering).

Throughout the decade my husband and I also travelled within the UK, camping, holiday cottages, hotels, B&Bs.  We’ve visited quite a few of the Scottish Isles and spent some time exploring the northern coast of Scotland. 

I started the decade working as a Sales Operations Consultant, which I loved and worked for a boss I respected and loved working for, I off-shored my job to India and then managed a large Project Management Office team, then was accepted on an internal training Academy and became an Account Manager on the Metropolitan Police account, working in London 4 days a week. At the end of our contract with them, I then spent 8 weeks travelling around South & Central America and when I returned started working as the Sales Financial Controller for Northern Europe…all these jobs with the same company.

I finish the decade having taken an extended career break from office working and have learned to knit, spin, weave, wet felt, needle felt and incredibly people I’ve never met have bought things I have made!

I have ‘met’ some fantastic bloggers through my blog, who inspire me, make me smile, help me know I’m not alone when I’m feeling blue and who are incredibly supportive.  I really feel like I am at last part of a community where I belong and amongst people who ‘get me’ and who ‘I get’.  

I said goodbye to my two cats and gained a dog.  My husband has been a rock for me on the journey through this decade, despite me making it very bumpy along the way.

I don’t know what the new decade will bring, not the sort of amazing trips we had before, but I have definitely learned that it is better to be happy most of the time than be a slave to earning a big wage and effectively living for a few joyful weeks somewhere abroad.  

Oh and our holidays are much now more environmentally friendly and boosting the UK economy these days. 😀

 

What has this decade taught you?  Do you look back or only look forward?

I hope the new year and new decade bring you all that you wish for.

9 comments

  1. Wow! You have had a wonderful decade! Travel is such a great education in itself and it’s awesome that you were able to do it all. Your career sounds interesting and fulfilling and I love the fact that you did and continue to “float your own boat”. I admire that in people. I believe that if you’re not happy….you have only yourself to blame. Change can be very healthy! Happy 2020 and may you always follow your heart!

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  2. You have so many memories from this decade that will stay with you always. Travel has a way of showing us as much about ourselves as the places we visit.
    My decade would have to be the most life changing of my life. I lost my parents, my FIL, 3 dogs, my daughter graduated from college and moved out, and my husband retired. Those are the big ones. There are many small ones too. The biggest thing I’ve learned is to be flexible and go with the flow.

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  3. I love learning about your decade and all the changes you’ve made in your life! This decade has been rough for me in some ways: divorce, lost my grandparents who were my rock, getting back into the job market was tumultuous. But I also remarried, found a job I love that was also a great place for me to heal and grow, and I’m back to art and craft. I’m glad this decade is over, and I’m looking forward to the next!

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  4. You have had a real roller coaster of a decade! But it sounds like you had some wonderful times, in spite of it being tumultuous. I’m very glad to have gotten to know you, and hope for a wonderful 2020 and next decade for you!

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  5. What a great post, Liz. And what a great decade – to experience so much and to learn so much! This past decade was pretty steady for DH and I, but it saw the complete independence of all three of our sons. That is a beautiful thing. 🙂 The next decade will hopefully see us traveling a bit more than we have recently. DH has zero interest in international travel, and mine is only slightly more. I hope to keep interacting (as an ESL tutor and friend) with international people’s who immigrate here and maybe we’ll explore more of these big and beautiful United States. 🙂

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