This time last year, I was...

1 Year Ago
DH and I were trying to figure out how and where to spend our life together. I think it was about this time I came to UK-Yankee for the first time. Other than that, I had a full time career and was finishing grad school and planning a couple trips to England.

5 Years Ago
I had just moved to Denver from Alabama 7 months prior and was loving it. I had my first job that I really loved, some new friends, and a beautiful condo downtown. I was single and dating.

10 Years Ago
I had just started university and was having the time of my life! I was on the final 2 month stretch of a 5 year relationship. He was 2 years older and I wanted to experience university life. I will always regret how that ended because I acted a little childish just to push him away. But on the bright side, it worked out perfectly fine for both of us.

Congrats on the upcoming anniversary, TM.

I've probably already answered this thread, but it was probably long enough ago that the answers have changed.

One year ago we were looking for flats.  I think we'd seen the one we ended up taking by then.  I was trying to hold on and try not to get too angry with the inlaws over minor crap that wouldn't matter in the long run.

Five years ago--Still ignorant of the real rules about immigration (had consulted two advisers in the UK at this point), we were waiting for my husband to have a permanent position from his temporary placement in forensics (as he was advised).  We were planning our honeymoon (which we didn't take until our fourth anniversary) the next month.  Life was looking up as we had more money and were seeing each other every few months, but we were hoping for a huge and positive change right around the corner.

Ten years ago, I was just finishing my first year in a city that I had moved to to be with a guy who dumped me a few months after I moved there.  I was taking classes and trying to figure out where I was going with my life.  I was dating a guy off and on who I should have never bothered dating.  But, that non-relationship lead to the circumstances where I met my husband, so I guess it worked out okay.

This is difficult!

1 Year
I was celebrating my 5th anniversary of being in the UK. We celebrated by going to my fave restaurant.  I was just figuring out that I hated my new job and felt like I had made a big mistake. 

5 Years
I was celebrating my first year in the UK and decided it was mostly alright.  I had finally (mostly) cut the cord with long term boyfriend (of nearly 10 years) and deciding I needed to give myself more credit.  I was just sorting moving in with a friend, which turned out to be great fun.  I was just returning from Bosnia, visiting my best mate, during which time we also dealt with NOLA being devasted by Katrina (where we both had lived for years).

10 Years
I would have just started back at university after a "break."  I would have been year 4 of my long term relationship and actually feeling some stress with it.  I would have just started a new job and moved to a new house with long term relationship (thus the stress).

I know exactly where I was this time last year - in a hospital bed on the haematology ward with super high liver tests for no known reason so they were prodding and cutting me over and over to find the source of the infection (that may have never existed) with no hope of release. Plus, feeling fat from the weight they made me put on pre-transplant, being forced to wear my glasses, and with a bald head from the chemo. And desperately missing my fiance and kitty, and some food that actually had discernible nutrition.

I am INFINITELY happier and healthier this year.

5 years ago - Living and working in London in the same job I still am now, just starting to get the idea in our heads that we should start saving to buy a boat.

10 years ago - Having just spent an amazing, life-changing year studying at the Uni of Sussex in Brighton, I was back at Penn State finishing my degree and feeling rather miserable that I had to come back to the States at all. I was already plotting my return...

Congrats on the upcoming anniversary, TM.

I've probably already answered this thread, but it was probably long enough ago that the answers have changed.

One year ago we were looking for flats.  I think we'd seen the one we ended up taking by then.  I was trying to hold on and try not to get too angry with the inlaws over minor crap that wouldn't matter in the long run.

Five years ago--Still ignorant of the real rules about immigration (had consulted two advisers in the UK at this point), we were waiting for my husband to have a permanent position from his temporary placement in forensics (as he was advised).  We were planning our honeymoon (which we didn't take until our fourth anniversary) the next month.  Life was looking up as we had more money and were seeing each other every few months, but we were hoping for a huge and positive change right around the corner.

Ten years ago, I was just finishing my first year in a city that I had moved to to be with a guy who dumped me a few months after I moved there.  I was taking classes and trying to figure out where I was going with my life.  I was dating a guy off and on who I should have never bothered dating.  But, that non-relationship lead to the circumstances where I met my husband, so I guess it worked out okay.

I had totally answered it.  Same attitude about the mistakes leading to me meeting Mr A:

One year ago- keeping close tabs on the election.  I would go nowhere without my Blackberry and the ability to check the latest polls, news, etc.,

5 years ago- I think this was the year I didn't see Mr. A on our anniversary.  A bit crappy, but he was temping at the time and we needed the money.

I was planning a long trip to my parents in November.  I stayed about 2 months.  I am surprised the trip went as smoothly as it did.

10 years ago-I had just moved 500 miles to be with a guy who had doubts about the relationship, but didn't bother to tell me before I packed up house and moved my life.  It was about ten years ago exactly that he dumped me in an email (about a month and a half after the move).  Ah well, if it weren't for that mistake, and the series of mistakes after, I wouldn't have met Mr. A.

1 year ago we had just moved to our first real place on our own, we were taking the step (now seen as very unwise) to take on offices for my husband's business and looking forward to heading to the states to see my family (again, now seen as very unwise)

5 years ago I was preparing for my move, I had sold everything, moved out of my apartment and was renting a room from a physically abusive couple. It wouldn't be long before a friend heard about the situation and told me I was moving out and in with him.

10 years ago I was just starting back at university for the 3rd time and saying good bye to my best friend and sister as she got married and moved to Alaska. It was also around this time that I moved back in with my other sister after having the second worst (see above for the worst) roommate situation. Though living with the sister wasn't exactly great either...

1 yr ago: almost to the day, I was just starting me new job--tense and nervous, but super pleased to have found something.
5 yrs ago--starting the school year off in San Diego, thinking I had moved there permanently (oops!)
10 yrs ago--1st year at uni.  Wow. So much fun ahead. And a terrible boyfriend. But so much fun.

This time last year I was getting published! A small thing actually, but it was nice anyway. And we were packing for our trip to England for my SIL's wedding.

This time 5 years ago I had just quit a really toxic job and we were contemplating moving closer to my husband's job. (which we did.)

This time 10 years ago I had just quit a really toxic job and was contemplating moving to NC (which I did!)

Wow. It appears that I move every 5 years. Interesting. On the plus side, each of my moves have been a good, productive move that made our lives better.

Wow, some of the '10 years ago' ones sure made me feel ancient...  Freshman year of college...12 years old...Sixth Form...seriously?!  I am so, soooo old. 

Wow, some of the '10 years ago' ones sure made me feel ancient...  Freshman year of college...12 years old...Sixth Form...seriously?!  I am so, soooo old. 

But young at heart and mind!! 

1 year ago: I was 5 stone / 70lbs heavier than I am now.      

5 years ago:  I was just a few months short of being married a year to the Most Wonderful Man   an lived in the UK for just over a year.    

10 years ago: I was living on my own working midnights at a factory which wasn't a bad job it paid good. I was in a loving honest relationship I thought but turned out to be a lie he was married   & his wife started working where I was working fun times Not!!  

I was in a loving honest relationship I thought but turned out to be a lie he was married   & his wife started working where I was working fun times Not!!  

OMG that's like a soap opera plotline!

OMG that's like a soap opera plotline!

No to derail the thread too much but something similar happened to one of BF's friends.  Essentially she was dating this guy and thought he was amazing, talked of marriage, etc.  Turns out he had a LIVE IN GF!  How did she not know, right?  Well the live in GF travelled every week.  The guy would take a picture of her things (like toiletries in the medicine cabinet) and move them all out for 2nd GF to come stay over.  Then 2nd GF would leave and boy would replace live in GF's stuff in time for her to come home.  Total Soap Opera!

Wow, some of the '10 years ago' ones sure made me feel ancient...  Freshman year of college...12 years old...Sixth Form...seriously?!  I am so, soooo old. 

If you're "old" then I'm an antique 

Sara, that's amazing! How did she find out in the end?