Mine aren't that great, but I feel good about them.
I moved out of my podunk hometown to go to school while all of my friends and 70% of our graduating class stayed local. Being away at college opened up a whole new world for me and I met so many people from all walks of life.
Graduating on time while I watched several friends screw around with school and take 7+ years to get any kind of degree.
Getting a job in the field I've always wanted to work in and steadily and progressively moving forward in my career path. I work in a field that has the potential to be very lucrative if I stick with it. Since 2008, I've been promoted 4 times and, for as young as I am, doing pretty well professionally.
Meeting and marrying the most awesome man, who nurtures me and loves me even when I don't love myself.
I survived architecture school. It was a TOUGH five years. (It was a five year program....I wasn't a slacker!) :-)
Kizmet, are you an architect? My nephew just graduated from Syracuse University's program, and is looking for a job, if you know of anyone looking let me know!
Sue- did he get to do the semester in Florence? I was always so jealous of the ARCH kids and their fancy study abroad. And then they were in studio for hours upon hours before their reviews when I was partying and I wasn't as jealous.
I'd have to say my biggest accomplishment to date was having a baby, for sure. I too was terrified of the entire ordeal and really proud of myself. I know it happens all the time but it was something I didn't see happening for myself.
He did the semester in Florence AND the semester in London. I was so jealous! He graduated second in his class, he's totally awesome, it's just hard to get a job in architecture right now, I think.
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
OK, yesterday I was having a shittier day, so I want a do over!!
I picked a poor crowd to hang out with in high school, and a lot of them wound up being losers who still live with their parents at 30+ years old. I started working at 14 and haven't stopped for more than a month since. Though I married a loser who had a substance abuse problem, I divorced him, paid off the 12k of debt he left me in,got promoted and lived on my own for the past 6 years. All with zero assistance from anyone.
I stopped having a pity party, left my tiny hometown (which was a HUGE deal in itself for me), joined meetup groups and met new friends, dated, and really came into my own. I also paid off every last dollar of debt, uncluding my car payment. I also freed myself from letting my family control me with their behaviors.
I started practicing yoga last year and am now mastering poses that I never thought I could do. It's been a pretty miraculous change for me mentally and spiritually.
I completed a photography certification program and started a new hobby that I love.
I dated a lot of jerks and also a lot of nice guys who just weren't right, I never settled, and now have an awesome boyfriend who treats me better than I ever even imagined possible.
So yeah, I have stuff to be proud of, even if I don't have any big degrees or fancy things to show for it. I try to remember just how different my life could've been had I went down the same path as my ExH or many of my family members.