When you aren’t sure what to blog then there are always Twitter trending topics to give you ideas. I will not be blogging on #twittercrush. It was #in10years that caught my attention. To be honest I don’t have a clue where I will be in 10 years time. Apart from hopefully being paid to write stuff, I’m more than happy to see where life takes me. Ten years ago I don’t know exactly where I thought I would be now. I know it was most definitely not here.

In fact today is a good day to discuss 10 years ago. This time 10 years ago I had collected my GCSE results and been so overwhelmed by my A* in German that I decided to do an AS in it. I never completed the AS, and I will never know how the A* came about. Some poor sod probably had a C somewhere that was actually mine!

Being 16 had far more firsts for me than 18 ever did. My first night out clubbing. My first holiday with friends (in a Youth Hostel in the Lake District and my parents were within a hours drive away!).  My first boyfriend (technically my second, but I don’t think five days when I was 13 really counted). Finishing my GCSEs and the first year of A-Levels were definitely an induction to adulthood, and despite everything I got up to I got through fairly unscathed.

Incidentally I realised when I was in York that my last trip would have been a decade ago at the beginning of September. It was our sixth form induction, with two nights in the University of York halls. I was across the hall from my boyfriend and also my friend Michael (aka trouble!) so there was lots of sneaking about late at night!

I have found evidence that one thing hasn’t changed in ten years. At the end of our three days in York we had to write nice things about everyone in our form class and anonymously put them in an envelope. I’ve just dug mine out from my memories box (also coming across my UCAS application form, offer and acceptance letters, and the “Monica and Chandler” award from our 6^th form leavers do) and here is a sample of what my class mates had to say…

“Helen: You’re fun and silly and enjoy life. Keep Smiling ”

“Helen, you are always smiling and it is always nice to see you”

“Helen: You’re smiley and friendly and always cheer me up”

“Smile”

Ten years on I’m still smiling! So I guess this is really what I need to tweet “#in10years I will still be smiling!”

Though, despite the multiple references to smiling, my favourite thing in the envelope has to be:

“You’re better at dancing than me”

Do you think Strictly Come Dancing will take that as a reference?