A European Adventure
January 5th, 2020
Sunrise over the Spree on January 2nd, 2020
I remember eating dinner at a Red Top burger joint on January 1st 1990. Aside from imagining the giant burger I was about to eat (this place specialized in making burgers that were as big as a pizza) I was thinking about how I had just lived through my first full decade. The news pundits on the TV were making a big deal about how the decade was over so I couldn’t help but to think about my perspective on the topic. I didn’t have any novel insights only being 10 at the time so I started to wonder what life would be like when I was my parents age. I imagined I would own at least two red flying sports cars, ride my hover board on the weekends and eat pizza for every meal!
Nine years later I remember worrying as the ball dropped in Times Square that the world was going to end due to a simple programming mistake and another decade later, poof, I was an “adult.” As 2010 approached I didn’t think of myself as an adult. There was still some time before I was supposed to be an adult; we hadn’t even figured out the hover boards let alone the flying cars. Unbeknownst to me the next decade would be the biggest of my life. The events that would slowly unfold would shape me forever.
The past 10 years represent our origin story. Just before the decade started Doreen and I met and dated. As the decade kicked off we started living together at the beach, then the countryside and eventually in an entirely different country on the other side of the world. We made new friends, said farewell to those that are no longer with us, got married, and had Logan before we were even half way through. We traveled together and explored two continents as a family. We’ve learned who we are and what we’re capable of.
And just like that, it’s 2020. Where did 2019 go? It seems like yesterday I was sitting down to write about 2018. Last January I was really focussed on the year that had just unfolded but this year it seems like a bigger step forward as we begin a new decade. Like the year before, 2019 was an exciting one. We visited 6 different countries, on 2 continents, and explored over a dozen different cities/towns. We celebrated 2 milestone birthdays and started our final year in Kita [preschool]. The year was full of ups and downs, funny stories and countless adventures. We achieved goals and set new ones while making sure to be as present as possible. Looking back it seems like a big year but in comparison it’s a flash in the pan over the past decade.
Now that I have enough age under my belt to provide some introspection I can begin to see the forest for the trees. I have no idea what 2020 will bring and I’m not all that worried about it. I’m far more excited to see what the next ten years has in store for us. If the last decade taught me anything it’s to enjoy the journey and not worry so much about the destination.
We enjoyed the last decade and curated some pictures to remember it.
Happy New Year!
Until next time,
The McNeills