19 Years

On August 15, 1989 I was an insecure 17 year old, taking her first commercial flight. I was leaving rural Pennsylvania for San Francisco. I was leaving all of my friends and family for the unknown. I was moving in with relatives who I barely knew.

As all adults do when we talk about time passing, I really have to go with the cliche of, "I can't believe how quickly the years have flown by."

In 19 years I've earned a degree, found true love, gotten married, made amazing friends, traveled the world, ran a marathon, own property, have a successful career, and continue to grow and learn.

I want to thank my aunt and uncle for taking me in. I think we all endured a lot of growing pains together, and have come out okay! Bunny and Gary - you ROCK! To this day, Bunny reminds me of my "anniversary" and always makes sure that we celebrate what I now refer to as my "emancipation from Pennsylvania".

Thank you to all of my friends, from the east coast to the west, for always believing in me!

And a special thank my younger self for taking a risk and moving away from the familiar. And for reminding me that it's okay to have doubts and feel insecure, because in the long run it will all be worth it.