Alright everyone grab a cuppa and get ready for some disastrous photos but lets look back on the last decade in my life.
When the decade began 10 years ago I was a 15 year girl still trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to become. Fast forward to now and I am a 25 year old woman who is unapologetically herself and knows what she wants (kind of). It’s crazy to think about the past 10 years, all of the things that I have done and how I have changed so much in that time. I have had many people pass in and out of my life along with some who have stayed the test of time. I have moved away many times and discovered who I am really am and who I want to become. I have had good times and bad times, bad hair days and photos I look back on thinking ‘what was I thinking wearing that in public?’, made thousands of memories and met some of the most amazing inspiring people.
I started the decade in my 4th year of secondary school. It was a great year of trying new things and slowly becoming more and more myself. I got to meet new people and so many things that you don’t usually do in school such as drama competitions, going to outdoor educations centres, having fun classes that were not focused on exams and grades. After this year I headed into my final 2 years of school , starting to plan for my future , picking university courses and stressing about exams. I have to say I loved school and learning new things and had some amazing teachers who inspired me so much. I got through all my exams and passed them all getting into my first choice of university which was great. We had our Debs at the end of secondary school which is like a prom. I remember not having anyone to go with and asking my friends to find me someone to go with. My friend put me in contact with one of her friends and after meeting at the cinema once I invited him to go with me. It was a little weird and the more I look back on it , it was very awkward but I had a good night with my friends dancing the night away so that is the main thing. I remember thinking my dress was the best dress ever although now I look back and think, why? but I felt a million dollars that night. Leaving school was bittersweet. I was excited to start the next chapter in my life and go to university with new people and new things to learn but it was also the end of an era. I wasn’t going to see my same friends who i had spent the last 6 years with every day along with so many teachers who had played such big roles in my life while I was there. I also turned 18 during this final year and really felt myself becoming an adult.
My 18th Birthday 
My Debs 
The next chapter started when I headed to University and got to do subjects that I was really passionate about. I also got to meet more people who had similar interests to me. University was also a place where I got to grow more into myself and become more of my own person. This was also when I got my first job in a bookshop and got to learn so many new skills and also conquer my fear of speaking on the phone. I still don’t really like doing it to this day but when someone answers the phone and then just puts it in your hand you kind of have to just suck it up and learn to talk on the phone which is what happened to me. I spent 4 years in the bookshop and it helped me all through my university years, getting to meet new people and learn new things. It also fuelled my unhealthy obsession with stationary, I’m pretty sure I put half my paycheck back into the shop.During my third year of university I got to go on an Erasmus year which was one of the best experiences. I flew out pretty much knowing no-one and by the end I had 2 of the best friends a girl could ask for . I got to experience a new city, living by myself, going to lectures in my second language and generally just having an amazing time. I will never forget 4 hour chats over poutine. This was where I was first introduced to poutine and vowed to eat it in Canada one day and look at me now. Returning from France , my final year was upon me and I really buckled down. I was in the library most day getting all my work down and in the end I graduated with a 2:1 Bachelors degree which I was very proud of. My university years was also when I was first introduced to playing rugby and I fell in love with the sport. I haven’t really been able to play the last few years with all my travelling but I will get back to it one day.
My 21st Birthday 
Once I was graduated it started the big adventure that would be the next 3 years of my life. I headed off to France to work as a teaching assistant once I had graduated and spent a year of my life in the south of France. I got to meet amazing people from all over the world and interact with some awesome kids. Once I was finished here I headed to Canada for the first time to my first summer camp. This was the moment I fell in love with camp and knew it was something that I wanted to do for the foreseeable future. I once again met amazing people from all over the world and lived amongst some of the most amazing scenery. After camp I got to travel to America for the first time and it was my first real experience of travelling by myself, safe to say I got the travel bug. Then I headed back to Canada to fall camp where once again I got to meet some of the most wonderful people who hold a special place in my heart. After some more travelling and getting to see ‘The Big Apple’ I arrived home and started a retail job to get me by but always with camp in the back of my mind. Enter mam and her endless web-searching abilities finding me a camp called American Village in France and this is were Moose was born. I know I sound like a broken record but the people I met there were all wonderful inspiring people. Once I was finished in France it was time to start my Canadian adventure. The visa was approved and the bags were packed and off I went.
Graduation 
I started my journey back where I belong at camp in Nova Scotia, once again meeting the most amazing people who I miss dearly. Then I headed back to my camp in Toronto for the second year getting to do more of a mentoring role who was awesome. I got to stay in Toronto working some different jobs. I got to experience my first winter in Canada, I got to go tubing for the first time and also learning to snowboard. This is when I really found that I am a winter person and the snow just makes me immensely happy. Then it was time to fly across the country back to my second home of camp. I got to do a new type of job and really blend two of my passions together and realising a dream I set from the first moment I sent foot in a summer camp . This was helping grow the social media of a summer camp and having a direct impact on it. At this camp it was also were I think I grew even more as a person becoming who I really wanted to be. I got to meet some people who not only inspire and amaze me but also who help nourish me as a person and help to build me up. This was also the camp where I took the next step in my camp career and took a full time position which is awesome. I have to say it is one of the best decisions I have made and I am so excited to see where it goes this decade.
I got to see my brother get married. I got to see two of my friends get married and see the pure love in the eyes of their husbands as they walked down the aisle. I had many people walk into my life along with many people walk out of my life. I cried a lot but I also laughed a lot. I flirted a bit, crushed on people and let my heart open to people. I also fell more in love with myself. I found who I wanted to me. I was jealous of people and also inspired by people. I took many pictures and made more memories than I can count and took countless selfies. I got to visit and live in some of the most amazing places. This past decade has been amazing. So many things have happened and I have changed so much from the being to end but I know that I am going into this new decade ready and excited for what ever life throws at me because I know that I can handle it.
So here’s to the new decade and all the adventures that it will bring.
Emma
xx
Emma Murphy 
A lot can happen in 10 years. Way to live my friend.
It sure can , thank you 😊