I know I’ve probably said this at least a thousand times already, but I love 2020! In the 19 days, 3 weeks, since this year has started, I’ve made some pretty big moves regarding finances, relationships, and my long-term career (can anyone say published author?). It almost feels like the last decade has been leading up to the greatness that is to be this one.
Speaking of the last decade, how much do you actually remember it? During my moments of nostalgia, I’ve been inclined to think back to some of my favorite moments from the last ten years and have found that some of the years actually muddle together. For your sake and mine, I’ve decided to put together this post so we can look back on all the best memories of the 2010s! As a bonus, I thought I’d include some of my best moments too–at least the ones I can remember!
2010:
Do you remember Lady Gaga’s meat dress? On 12 September 2010 at the MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga received both the most nominations (thirteen) and the most awards (eight). But that’s not what most people remember about her from that night. The “Bed Intruder Song” also came out in 2010, and became YouTube’s most popular video that year.
As for me, I got my first “boyfriend” in 2010 (quotations because middle school boyfriends are really a hit or miss; do they count or don’t they?). Your first boyfriend is definitely something you remember for years to come.
2011:
Some of the biggest events from this year include, the release of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” and the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton. Planking was also a thing that originated in 2011, and it was probably one of if not the first of many social media challenges.
I started high school in the fall of 2011. This was an “epiphany year” for me as I thought high school was going to skyrocket me to popularity. Funny how things don’t always work out.
2012:
In the summer of 2012, South Korean musician Psy released the hit song “Gangnam Style.” The music video became the first video on YouTube to reach one billion views. And everybody knew that dance. Something else about 2012–countless numbers of people were sure the world was going to end in December of that year. Were you one of them?
I moved high schools in 2012, and that was actually really difficult for me. I struggled for a while to make friends, but I did learn how to be a little bit more outgoing. I also got an Instagram that year!
2013:
“The Harlem Shake,” “The Cup Song,” and “What Does the Fox Say” were all musical sensations from 2013.
After over a decade of living in the United States, I visited my home country of the Philippines with my family for the first time. This year was also my first time starring as a lead in a school play.
2014:
This was the year of the Ice Bucket Challenge. It was definitely a whirlwind craze that resulted in some crazy internet videos, but it did raise millions of dollars for ALS research, so all-in-all a pretty cool part of the last ten years.
I actually participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge with a couple of my friends early that year. I also got my first job that summer. I worked this job on-and-off for over five years and it actually defined a lot of my character growing up.
2015:
Black and blue? Or white and gold? This was the hottest debate of 2015 (I’m almost a thousand percent sure it was black and blue, by the way). 2015 was also the year same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States.
I graduated high school in 2015! I also moved away from home for the first time so that I could attend college two and a half hours away. This was probably the scariest decision I’ve ever made in my entire life, but also one of the best.
2016:
Leo finally won an Oscar! After being nominated SIX TIMES, Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Revenant. So proud! Pokemon Go was also released this summer, and I swear everybody and their mom had it. I was never a big Vine-er, but the end of this year marked the beginning of the end of the popular app. 2016 was also the year America elected our 45th president, Donald Trump.
2016 saw the end of my first year at college. I joined so many campus organizations and tried a variety of new activities. I also met some of my best friends–people I would go on to confide in, cry with, travel with, and more. I also started a wannabe-travel YouTube channel with some of my girlfriends from back home. I wonder if our videos are still online…
2017:
While they’d actually been invented several years before this, fidget spinners rose to popularity in 2017. My brother had a couple. On a more serious note, 2017 was also a big year for activism with the Women’s March and the #MeToo Movement.
Can you believe I started this blog in 2017?! Well, I did. I also tried online dating for the very first time–if Tinder counts as “online dating.”
2018:
Meghan Markle made a beautiful splash by leaving her acting life behind, marrying Prince Harry, and joining the British royal family. Since then, she’s really been making her own way in this new life and we sure are proud of her for pushing through.
I turned 21 in 2018, arguably one of your biggest birthdays in adulthood. I also traveled out of the country for the first time without my family. My friends and I flew to Europe, which was also my first time on this continent.
2019:
What a great year for women! Beyonce’s documentary Homecoming, Michelle Obama’s book Becoming, Lizzo’s album Cuz I Love You–and I’m sure many more. This was also the year the latest royal, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor, was born to Harry and Meghan, the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex. Oh, and let’s not forget about the third ever impeachment in American history.
The biggest thing to happen to me in 2019 was definitely my college graduation. That event alone launched so many fears and hopes alike for the next decade to come.
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What are some of your most prominent moments from the last decade? Do you remember the “Bed Intruder Song” or the Ice Bucket Challenge? If you want to read up on some more forgotten memories from the last ten years, check out this article published by Good Housekeeping.
I’m doing something a little different for next week’s post–our very first Lifestyle specific piece–so make sure to check back here next Sunday!
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