Party like it's 1999

Ten years ago tonight, I was at my friend S' parent's house out on Long Island for a huge house party to celebrate Y2K. Remember that? We were so afraid that the computers would crash and the world would end? I ended up going to sleep early with a migraine, whoo. hoo.

Ten years ago, I was a pack a day smoker of Camel Lights.

Ten years ago, I had no romantic prospects, and wondered if I would ever get married.

Ten years ago, I lived in Boston.

I can't believe how much has happened in the last ten years, and I don't even know how to write about it, but I'll give it a shot.

In October of 2000, I quit smoking and except for a few slip-ups here and there, I've been relatively smoke free.

In July 2001, my friend S told me that he would pick me up in any city with a major airport west of the Mississipi. And with the Dixie Chicks' "Wide Open Spaces" playing in my head, I bought a one-way ticket to Denver, CO with only a couple of hundred dollars to my name, no apartment, no job. I didn't even have a sleeping bag, and when we camped in the Rocky Mountains, I covered myself in clothes to keep out the cold.

On August 5, 2001, we drove on I-80 into the San Francisco Bay Area.

The day before Thanksgiving 2001, I took a one-day temp job doing data entry on a bankruptcy case and the course of my life changed dramatically. It was a start-up made up mostly of temps, who set up camp on one side of the floor. Everyone was pretty nice, except for this kind of creepy guy who didn't really talk.

On July 5, 2002, I had my first date with that creepy guy, who turned out to not be so creepy after all.

In November 2002, I got my first job with health insurance, at the company that had brought me in for one day.

On April 8, 2004, I accepted Josh's (creepy no more) marriage proposal.

In October 2004, I celebrated my smoke-freeness by walking 60 miles over three days to raise money for breast cancer. I also got a new job in solar, working for the utility whose 2001 bankruptcy got me that one-day temp job.

On July 2, 2005, Josh and I got married in Healdsburg, CA.

In December 2005, we went to Hawaii for the first time (Kauai) for our honeymoon.

On November 15, 2006, I had a miscarriage. After crying our eyes out, Josh told me this: "First, we know that we're fertile, so that's good. Second, if we have a kid anytime in the next couple of years, we wouldn't have had that baby without this miscarriage, and I bet we wouldn't be able to imagine life without that baby." Truer words were never spoke.

On October 2, 2007, we welcomed Jacob Prewitt Henig into our lives and I can't say enough about that.

In April 2008, I took on a $50M project to bring more solar to low income apartment buildings in Northern California.

On March 22, 2009, I challenged my fears and ran a 5k.

Sometime in May 2009, we made Keiki.

10 years ago, I was at a party. Tonight, I'm eating Thai food with my husband while we watch "True Blood" and our son sleeps in his crib, and his sibling dances in my belly. No cigarettes, one glass of wine, and when I go to bed early tonight, it will be with much happiness.

And there you have it, Internet. Looking forward to the next 10 years.