Growing up

Once in awhile I stop and wonder, "How did I get here?"

I'm not talking about getting to certain locations either. No, I'm referring to life. I wonder, "How did I end up in this situation?" or "I never anticipated this for my future, how did I end up here?"

When I first started university, I had the ambition to be a Spanish major. 5 years later I graduated with a degree in History, went on an exchange to Hong Kong and did co-ops across Canada. That was certainly not how I envisioned my university life, but I like how things turned out!

After my undergrad I pursued graduate studies. 2 years later I found myself having withdrawn from university, working full time for a Hepatitis C scholarship program, traveling to Europe, and then living in Montreal. Again, this was never on my life's agenda!

Now here I am again, prepping to move back to Ontario, to a field of work I thought I'd avoid at all costs, and now I'm contemplating buying a car. Having been a pedestrian for the past 8 years, I am probably shocked by that last bit the most.

It's so interesting to see the changes that have been wrought in me. I remember in 2003, my friends and I signed a lease to an apartment together. When we handed over the deposit, I remember literally shaking with nerves and excitement. (My portion of the cheque was only $800.) Now here I am, bandying about the idea of buying $10,000 cars and talking about saving up for a house.

This is one of the reasons why I called my blog, "Mau's Stepping Stones" - because really, no one can anticipated where life will lead them.