June 3, 1979

Thirty years ago I graduated from high school.

Am I now what I thought I would be at this age when I was 17?

Have I accomplished everything I thought I would have thirty years after graduation?

Yes and no.

I don't think I even imagined this far into the future. This is older than my parents were when I was 17. And I thought they were really old!

At 17, I wanted to go and live in Japan.
I wanted to be a Japanese pop star!
I wanted to be a journalist.
I wanted to write novels.
I wanted to have twins (one day).
I wanted to study Japanese language and culture in college.

If someone told me I would have a career in accounting, I would not have believed it. I did all the math up through calculus in high school because my friends were doing it. I did ok, but didn't enjoy it. I liked English and Japanese and Newswriting classes better. (And I have not had any use for trigonometry since.)

I visited Japan twice, but never got to live or go to college there. I would like to go there to visit again, but no regrets. Even about not becoming a pop star!

In college I decided that journalism was not for me. While I love to do research, I wouldn't be able to pursue people and interview them and work all hours to get stories.

No novel, but trying to exercise my writing muscles again through blogging and journal-writing.

No twins, but I'm happy with the one child I do have.

Thirty years after high school graduation, I need to come up with a new list of things I want to do and what I want to become.