Timeline

10 years ago--Age 12

• I went through my first bad-ass stage. During a school field trip to a museum, I befriended a well-known bad-ass. We decided to ditch our group in an attempt to run away in the city. Our group mother eventually found us and scolded us as if we were her own kids. Needless to say, since then her daughter was not allowed to talk to me after that.
• At my birthday party, an older cousin and I decided to try smoking a cigarette. We went through the ashtray in my mom's wood-trimmed minivan and picked out the longest butts to smoke. For years after that, her and I randomly stole cigarettes from our mothers, grandmother and my brother. The random habit has been with me ever since

8 years ago--Age 14

• At an ultimate low, I decided to end it all by taking an obscene amount of generic Tylenol. Right after, I called a friend and asked her to take me to the hospital. They pumped my stomach, then for the next 5 days they treated me to the worst possible hospital stay a girl that age could have. They wanted to make sure I wouldn't want to come back. When I got home, I vowed that I would do it again when I was 16.
• Along with that vow, I made another. I vowed to lose my virginity at 16. It sounded like a good idea to me.

7 years ago--Age 15

• My parents decide to get me the hell out of Podunk, USA and get me into Growingtown. That was one of the best decisions they ever made for me.

6 years ago--Age 16

• In a lapse of depression, I decide to stick with my vow and lose my virginity to a random guy I had met that night. We did it in a tent and the condom broke. Cue the psycho's first appearance. After that I decided I couldn't follow through with my other vow as I wasn't sure if I would be murdering a baby at the same time.
• I started working at Mom & Pop's Shop, which served as a catalyst for my hatred of older men. It still boggles my mind when I think about the way they would talk to me. Maybe they didn't realize that calling a 16 year old stranger beautiful actually has the opposite affect than intended

4 year ago--Age 18

• I graduated high school then went straight to college. I decided to continue living with my parents. I have yet to regret that decision. Right before school started, I put a down payment on my second car (1st not bought from my dad). I did not realize at the time that I should have done more research into my purchase. Instead, I thought it was by far the best investment I could ever make as the interior lights were pretty. I am making my final payment on it tomorrow.

2 years ago--Age 20

• I noticed Loverboy for the 1st time. I let my inhibitions go and...smiled and said hi to him every third or fourth time I saw him.
• I became a temporary morning person because I knew he started work at 9am on the third floor of my new found favorite building. For the next 6 months I studied at the desks on the third floor starting at 8:30 every morning.

1.5 years ago--Almost 21

• Loverboy and I started dating. I get excited just thinking about those first few times together.

1 year ago--Age 21

• For the first of many times, I fell head over heels for Loverboy. I realized that he was the one I had been waiting for. He actually makes me want to be a better person...was that a line from a movie because it really sounds like it?
• Since I was getting to school so early to study (I continued on the third floor so I could be close to Loverboy in the morning), I started getting involved on campus. I was nominated as the president of a prestigious club (the Math Club of course) and was asked to co-teach a class my final year.

Last night--Age 22

• After a 9 hour day at work, I tutored a student in calculus for 2 hours. I helped him understand the relationship between a function and its derivatives. In all seriousness, he became excited when it finally sank in. Afterwards, I went to my friend Sexy Lady's house. We had a few beers, then around 11pm her 13 year old brother sat with us and started studying algebra. He was accepted into the advanced program and he was trying to prepare himself. He asked me for help until around 1am. Although I usually try to go to bed at 11, I did not mind in the least bit. I was delighted to help. I taught him how to add a negative. It felt great.

Two weeks from tomorrow--Age 22 and not ready

• I am running away from home the adult way. I am moving nearly 800 miles away from everything and everyone that I know. I pray that this does not start an adult version of the previous cycle.