Day 2: How have you changed in the past two years?

The last two years have been tough, I won't lie. I'm a completely different person than I was in 2010 & although I do miss some things from my life then, I know that I'm exactly where I need to be.

In 2010:
Relationships: I had been in a relationship for over 3.5 years with the man I though would be the one I'd marry. I would've done anything for him & I think he knew that & counted on it honestly. Considering that we had been trying to make a long distance relationship work for over a year, my poor heart hurt too much to keep the relationship going. I was sad, I was lonely & I loved him in spite of it all. But like the saying goes: if you love someone, set them free...in July 2010 (3 months shy of our 4 year anniversary), that's what I did, even though it hurt like crazy. Do I regret it? No. Do I miss him? Some days more than others, but by ending the relationship, I've been able to look back & see just how flawed our relationship really was & why it needed to end. I'm sure I'll always love him in some form, but I'm better off having loved him in my past & have had the chance to move on.

(New Years Trip to Estes Park, CO - January 2010)

Jobs: I had a job as a contractor for a big oil & gas company in Denver that after two years, finally offered me a full-time position - in a department I wasn't originally brought on to work in, but I didn't complain because they had done so much to keep my job when they laid off all of their other contractors & intitiated a company-wide hiring freeze in 2008. I was grateful to even have a job - especially when it came with getting every other Friday off on top of 4 weeks of paid vacation.

(one of the perks of working for my old company - through our partnership with Food Bank of the Rockies, we got to meet Joe Sakic...as I said before, I'm a big Avs fan so this made my day!)

Life: I moved in to my first official apartment. I know, that's really weird, considering I made it to age 24 without renting my own apartment. In all honesty, I've been on my own since I was 20, but I've been blessed with great parents who allowed my sister & I to rent a gorgeous condo in Highlands Ranch that my dad owned & charged us a hugely discounted rate so that we were able to be on our own (we were both still in college & working as "data analysts" as contractors when we moved into the condo & renting an apartment at full price wasn't an option when the job was limited at best). After that, I rented a full basement from my ex's family friend & I loved that. I loved my landlord & Stella loved that she had lots of buddies when I went to work. Then, I moved in to my mom's old townhouse with a friend before having my first "Big Girl" apartment. I didn't really like my first apartment though...I loved being on my own, that's for sure, but the apartment management was horrible, my hot water heater went out frequently & maintenance never could fix it. And parking. Parking was AWFUL. The complex was essentially in a Town Center with lots of restaurants & shopping, so getting in or out of the building on a Friday or Saturday was next to impossible. I'm still a little bit bitter about that complex, haha!

(my first apartment)

Of course, I was still playing soccer - playing co-ed for Chipotle & co-ed with my ex's friends, too! I really enjoy being able to have soccer as an outlet from my everyday life.
Then, there's the not so good parts. In September 2010, after missing nearly a month of work with what I thought was the flu, I found out that I had Celiac disease. In other words, I'm really, really, REALLY allergic to gluten. Let me tell you, if you aren't allergic to gluten, don't embark on the gluten free diet train. It's not worth it - it's expensive & full of high glucose foods that pack on weight rather than help you lose it & I'm still struggling with the newfound weight issues that I've never had to worry about before.

In 2012...so far:
Relationships: None. I'm single. I'm not a fan of it, but I've tried the "dating just to date" thing & it's just not my thing. I've met some interesting people but I think I really just needed to figure out "ME" first. God's got someone in mind for me...someday!
Jobs: I quit my job in Denver after barely a year as a full-time employee - I hated the job...with a passion. I made my intention to leave known but no one really thought I'd do it until the day I sent out my 2 Weeks' Notice to my coworkers, haha! I moved to Dallas & took a job with a private oil & gas company & I love it. I gave up my Fridays off & my 4 weeks of paid vacation in exchange for working on Fridays & only 2 weeks of paid vacation, but when you enjoy the people you work with & actually enjoy going to work, it's absolutely worth it. I've learned so much more in the last 7 months than I learned in the 3 years with my old company, too!
Life: I love my life in Dallas. I've met some great people & being back in Texas has been exactly the "fresh start" I needed. I mean, who wouldn't love the fact that it was 85 degrees here last week. Yes, 85 degrees. In February. And I lounged by the pool. I've joined a church that I love as well as their 20-somethings singles group. I'm playing indoor soccer (surprise surprise, I know right?) with some great people & we won our division last week! It's brought some of my old TLU friends back into my life too! I've missed my soccer girlies!

(new Dallas apartment)
(lounging on my patio last weekend)

I think that covers the "big" changes for me over the last two years...I'm sure if I really thought about it, I could keep on going, but that's not really that exciting, haha!
Happy Tuesday!
♥Linz