Kim Nelson: 5 Things I Hated 10 Years Ago That I Love Now

A while back, I posted about 5 things I loved 10 years ago that I hate now. Now here’s 5 things I love now that I hated 10 years ago.

1. Staying Home on a Friday Night: In my 20’s, just the thought of spending a quiet weekend evening at home made me want to jump out of my antsy-pants skin. Friday and Saturday nights (and Thursday nights, if we’re being honest) were made for P-A-R-T-Y-I-N.’ These days, my idea of heaven is staying home on a Friday night with a cat on my lap and wondering what Netflix documentary I feel like falling asleep to.
2. Early Morning Workouts: 10 years ago, I was still sleeping in late from all that P-A-R-T-Y-I-N’ to get in a workout before noon, if ever. These days, though it can be rough to pull myself out of bed at 5:30 am to work out, there’s something about it that I love. Being done with strength and cardio before the sun comes up makes me feel like an Olympian. Though at this point in my life I’m too old to compete in any Olympic events except maybe curling and archery.
3. Bloody Marys: Blech, said my 20-something self. I didn’t get them at the time; why ruin your alcohol with V8? Those were the days when I could close down the bar, get 3 hours of sleep, and roll out of bed to head to my job at a health club (oh the irony). Once you get past your college years, however, a little extra padding is needed the morning after a late night out to soften the blow of that crushing hangover. Bloody Marys at brunch are the best way to stave off the pain.
4. Tea: In college and through my 20’s (and admittedly quite a lot of my 30’s), my main source of caffeine was Diet Coke. I had no problem chugging down three cans before 5 pm rolled around while working hectic days at conferences. When Diet Coke wasn’t enough, I’d turn to energy drinks. One of the most cracked-out moments of my life was when I helped my sister move to New York, and I was driving us through the middle of Ohio at 3 am with her passed out in the passenger seat, her cat meowing its face off in displeasure in his carrier, and me keeping myself conscious on the unlit country road by chugging Monster and blaring Weird Al polkas. Nowadays, I’m more of a concerned citizen when it comes to knowing what the chemicals in my food are doing to my body, so give me a nice mug of oolong with an inspirational quote by Gandhi on the tag; it will soothe me into a peaceful state as I recline on the sofa on a lovely Sunday morning, gazing out the window while contemplating my own mortality.
5. Country Farmhouse-Style Decor: Over the summer, while exploring Glacier National Park, my husband and I went into a gift shop to peruse the handcrafted souvenirs. While admiring some locally made pottery, he turned to me and said “I want to buy everything in here. Does that mean that I’m old now?” Over the decades, neon bar signs and rock show posters have a way of being edged out by watercolors of moose sauntering through a creek. Or maybe that’s just us.