It's crazy to me to think that it's been 20 years since the start of the new Millenium. I remember everyone freaking out, thinking that all of the computers would malfunction and basically believing that the apocalypse was about to occur. My mom stockpiled on batteries, flashlights, candles and bottles of water 'just in case.' In the end, nothing happened and everyone had a stupid amount of emergency supplies in their homes, which came in handy a few years later during the blackout of 2003.
The end of the 2000s was much less dramatic and quite frankly, I don't really remember much about New Years' 2010. In early 2009, I had started my job as a Listings Reporter at TV Guide Canada. I also moved and my two nephews were born that year. Looking back on it, I probably don't remember New Year's 2010 because it was such a busy time.
Fast forward ten years later and my approach to the end of the decade is very different. Back then, I was completely caught up in what was happening in my life at that exact moment and incapable and unwilling to learn from my experiences. Now, at 36, all I seem to do is reflect, so that I can hopefully learn and grow as a person.
A large part of why I've become so introspective is because the past ten years have been filled with ups and downs. In the last decade, I started my restaurant blog Tasting Toronto on Wheels, left my position at TV Guide Canada, got my beloved dog Bandito (who we sadly lost in 2017), my family welcomed my youngest niece, I started working at my sister's company, ended an unhealthy friendship, met new friends, started Ling and decided to shut down Tasting Toronto on Wheels. All of these experiences have greatly impacted me and changed me. I've learned that nothing is ever guaranteed. Plans change and, for the most part, I'm okay with that.
I don't like making New Year's resolutions because they are often superficial and have a history of being broken (i.e. "I'm going to get a gym membership this year"). Instead, I like to set realistic goals for myself. This year my hope is to continue to learn from my experiences and own my s**t.
With the start of a new decade, what goals have you set for yourself?
