The Best Years - A Monday Listicle

#1 - 2009 - It was the best of times and the worst of times. I lost my fluffy companion of 13 years to kidney failure and thought that alone would kill me. Then there were the relatively minor, but still far from awesome, inconveniences of swollen legs and ankles in the final months of my pregnancy and sleepless nights for pretty much the whole of The Boy's first year.

With all that, I still gotta give the edge of all my best years to '09 because it is the year I married my Hubs, adopted Cat and had my boy.

#2 - 1996 - So many reasons for me to love this year. I was 22, at my thinnest and prettiest, pulling a 4.0 in school and had the best time ever backpacking around Europe, and I've done a lot of backpacking around Europe.

#3 - 1998 - The year I transferred to my beloved Cal and met my beloved Hubs. It was also the year I discovered my love of Radiohead and acquired my own email address.

#4 - 1986 - The year I turned 13, had my first kiss and realized I was destined to marry an Englishman. Thank you Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode.

#5 - 2003 - Like '09 this year was a bit of a double edged sword. It was the year I was diagnosed with MS, but also my first full year living in London and the year I started grad school.

from bloomsburypeople.blogspot.com

#6 - 1994 - The year I lived in Prague with my best friend.

#7 - 2000 - Settled into living with Hubs then we took some time off to go live in Germany so I could learn German.

#8 - 1993 - Another big travel year. I spent the Summer in Central Europe. One month in Prague to(unsuccessfully) learn Czech and some time spent in Budapest, Austria and Poland. It was a great way to be 19.

#9 - 1999 - The year I graduated from college, fell in love with Hubs and moved into his place in San Francisco.

#10 - 2004 - I lived in London with Hubs, completed my thesis for my Master's, took my first trip to the Baltics and 500th trip to Prague and Paris, as well as getting back to Budapest, Vienna and Italy. I always say that was the year I was a world traveller.

from guideinbologna.it

Now The Boy has a framed, laminated map to mark down everywhere he's been. Exciting.