When I was 20 I didn't drink coffee. There was no such thing as a blog and wireless internet did not exist yet. I was probably in school on a Wednesday afternoon.
My 20's were a very wild but blessed ride. I say it too much, but I still consider myself one of the most blessed people walking on Earth. How can I not say that as I look over my laptop screen and see footage of the Haiti earthquake on the TV? When I look back at my computer I can remove myself from the wreckage, pain, and death in Haiti. There are 9.7 million people in Haiti that can't just look away. Just the latest example that I am more blessed than I deserve.
I am going to stay away from naming people too much because I surely will forget some people that played great roles in my 20's.
In my 20's I worked...
First job was working at the UGA golf course after my sophomore year. I walked 9 holes 3 days a week before my shift started and didn't improve the entire summer.
After college I was lucky enough to work for McNeel Builders and Glen Eden Wool Carpet where I would measure, cut, and glue wool carpet to make rugs.
I managed townhomes in a ski resort and cleaned off tables in a fine dining restaurant.
I worked on Lazy Hay Farm feeding and raising bulls and Twylum Farms herding cows. I still twitch at the memory of being shocked by the electric fence and it knocking me on my ass in New Zealand.
I worked for Slim (he was shady, not skinny by any means) in Carrollton and Douglasville developing property.
Pete was my boss at the Marietta Housing Authority. Pete genuinely cared about how I was doing. He asked about me, my friends, church, my family. I have found that to be rare in the working world.
I worked for a construction company and played a part (very small part) in building a 7 story condo. It's great to look at that building and know how much time I put into it.
Unfortunately my working status starting my 30's is the same as my 20's - unemployed.
In my 20's I lived...
In a 2 bedroom apartment in Athens, GA with Joseph, Ben, and Harris
Whit's house on Polk St. and Joseph's house on Rockford Township.
My own on Hickory Walk
A 4 bedroom apartment with Ben and then a three bedroom with Kailey and Paige in Eagle-Vail, CO.
A farmhouse with John and Lisa in Winton, New Zealand
A 'piso' on the fifth floor in Sevilla, Spain
Spiritually in my 20's...
I worried too much about things that don't matter and not enough about the things that do
There were times I was too cautious with my actions and other times too liberal with my words
I can still remember some of the faces of the people whom I didn't treat as I would have liked to have been treated
I denied God when I should have boasted about Him and also pushed Him on others when I should have waited patiently
On the other hand I praised Him in times of sorrow and persevered in seeking His guidance
I served God's people in the Czech Republic, Peru, and Mexico
I had fun in my 20's...
Skiing in: Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wisconsin, and the Swiss Alps
Playing soccer on the beach in Cadiz, Spain
Visiting my sister in Seattle and Albuquerque
16 day, 12 city tour of Europe by train
Spring Break in Germany and Switzerland
Legally blind in New Zealand hiking on Franz Josef glacier in New Zealand (one of only 3 places in the world where a rainforest leads to a glacier). Joe had to tell me where I should and shouldn't step to get through it
Learning the culture and meeting the people of Sevilla, Spain
Relationships in my 20's...
I was in and out of love
I went on good dates and bad ones
Sometimes I was inconsiderate in dealing with women and other times I couldn't possibly give more of myself
I was a good friend and a bad friend
I wasn't as close to family as I would have liked. That's a combination of me being lazy but also just that we are so spread out. My second decade was a tumultuous time for my family. My 20's ended with me being closer to my dad than ever, my sister and I being 3000 miles apart but never closer in spirit, and my mom living a comfortable distance away which makes our relationship better.
I got Badger when I was 20 and he will be 10 on February 4th. I can't believe he has been in my life for a decade.
The friends that were closest to me at 20 are still my best friends at 30 as well as many more people I have met over the last decade I now consider to be great friends
I have friends that know how I thrive being around others and they invite me to dinner and even offer me a place to live. You know who you are. Thank you and love you all.
I can sit here and honestly say I don't have any regrets (except not taking enough pictures). And for those of you that knew me in college when I put peroxide in my hair I was 19 so that doesn't count. Yes I would like to be married and I would like to have kids. But I haven't been dealt those cards yet. And I'm not going to sit here and whine about the cards in front of me because I happen to love the way my last 10 years have turned out. I can't wait to see what is in store for my 30's. It's going to take a lot to top my 20's but I'm eager to try.
It's been quite a ride. Thank you to all that have been a part of it.
