2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

Ok, we're a few days into 2020 and I keep finding it strange and surreal that we've just entered a new DECADE. It just seems a little hard to believe! At the start of this decade, I was in college, trying to keep up with assignment deadlines and my biggest life crisis being if I forgot to take my headphones with me anywhere.




Nowadays, a life crisis is not being able to add money to my Help To Buy ISA account or deciding whether to wear a coat or not when I go out. How times have changed. This is my point - we evolve over time, it doesn't take years or decades. It can take as little as weeks or even days for something to happen or you step out of your comfort zone. We grow and mature with age, we learn new things and we make mistakes, but we also learn from them too.

From my perspective, I know full well that I have grown into a completely different person to what I was when we entered 2010. I have gained so much confidence, I value myself more as a person and I still haven't let my illness define me as a person, a promise I made myself when I turned 18 in 2011. I have gained more knowledge, acquired new skills such as putting air in my car tyres, creating a website and how to make a banging ham and cheese toastie. See, you gain so many new skills in your life!




I know this post should may be have been written a little earlier than now, but you know, life, new decades and making ham and cheese toasties get in the way of getting things done sometimes.




I wanted to give a little, well, summary of the last decade, my main life events and how I've changed, starting with -



2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2010

The start of a new decade saw me settle into college, where I studied Health & Social Care for the first half of the way, before moving onto my Childcare course, which would continue for another two years. Things just seemed to tick by as usual.



2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2011

Ah, this is when some serious shit happened. Near the start of the year, my grandad sadly passed away from cancer, which, I won't lie, broke my heart. I was hoping he would make it to my 18th birthday. He always said that he wanted to make it to my 18th and watch the 2012 Olympics in London. Bless him, I still miss him. One thing I was determined to do after he died was to start driving lessons. I would have loved to have taken him to the betting shop so he could have a bet on the horses. Also in the Summer of this year, I transitioned to the adult CF centre from paediatrics. A quite monumental change for me, saying goodbye to the team who had looked after me from when I entered this world until the age of 18 was very emotional. At the end of the day, they were my second family.

2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2012

The start of 2012 saw me nervously step into the instructors car for my driving test and I passed first time! Six months of practicing parallel parking, three point turns and the pointless reverse around a junction manoeuvre and several impatient moments with my driving instructor paid off! Not long after this, my health took a huge nosedive. I found out from my doctor that I had a partially collapsed lung, something similar to a pneumothorax. Health-wise, this was a massive turning point in my life. It gave me the kick up the arse I needed to keep on top of everything eg meds, exercise etc. I then packed my folders away and wrote my last assignment as college life came to an end. For those wondering, I passed. Woop. I also got my first car, boy, driving on your own for the first time is bloody scary!

2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2013

After six months of looking for a job, I got offered one! A little morning job in a playgroup, nothing much, but it was a start! Then because my boss was such a bitch, I quit six months later. Hmm, time to start job searching again.

2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

 

2014

At the start of this year, I started another job - in an after school club. I fell in love with this job as the hours were perfect for me and the girls I worked with were amazing. However, my mental health was at a real low, I had real dark thoughts and I didn't think I could go on. My physical and mental health was at an impasse. Thankfully, I did recover near the end of the year and entered 2015 feeling like the normal me again.



2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2015

Ok, there's only got to be one highlight from 2015 - my first game at Anfield. Well, I don't mean I donned the shirt to do my best Steven Gerrard impression, but I finally got to experience what I've been watching on my TV screen all those previous years. It was so surreal, I'll never forget the first time I saw the inside of Anfield, I actually teared up (happy tears of course). Ok, the ending result was 0-0, but the experience was something I won't forget in a hurry. This year was also the last time I had IV's, starting a new record which is still ongoing.



2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2016 

Without a doubt, this has to be the best year of the entire decade. It started with me sending off a Willow Foundation application to have a day at Melwood to meet the Liverpool players. A few weeks later, I'm standing in a room with Jurgen Klopp and Jordan Henderson having selfies with them. This is when my love affair with the city of Liverpool began. Three trips there in 2016, me adamant that I was going to make this my future home one day. Not long after that having chats with Liverpool players, I made the decision to quit the job I was in at the after school club (due to lack of working hours). I signed up to a supply teaching agency and carried on with my working life. A mini trip to London for the Willow Foundation took place in the month of September, Then this blog was born - Lucy Mary made it's first steps into the blogging world. This year saw my confidence soar to a whole new level. I took my first solo trip in this year, something I never thought was possible.



2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2017

I think after having such a mind blowing 2016, 2017 felt a bit meh. I hadn't really achieved anything new. One highlight being a birthday weekend in, you guessed it, Liverpool with my fabulous friends. My blog started gaining pace and health wise, I still felt incredible.

 

 

2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2018

Oh of course I head to Liverpool once again, well, twice again. One weekend I took my Mam on her first ever trip to Anfield, which was quite special for the both of us. Career wise, I was doing good, I was working in a school which I adored. I was keeping up with the blogging schedule I had set myself so I was feeling quite content and humble in 2018.




2010 - 2019: How I've Evolved

2019

Ah, the last of the decade - and guess what?! I changed jobs AGAIN. Before you sarky sods ask - yes I'm still there! Perfect hours for my health and I love it! Also, I took a huge step in terms of travel. I ventured to places beyond Liverpool. Trips to Brighton, Birmingham and Bath took place in the second half of the year. It does look like I chose a letter in the alphabet and chose to visit places beginning with 'B'. Honestly, I didn't! Although it does look that way!




I have enjoyed this little throwback and run down of the last decade. I don't know whether I'll make it to the end of this decade just yet, I've got to hope Trikafta (a new CF drug) comes along to help all us CFer's.

Now, let's see what 2020 brings...