personally, i'm daunted that 10 years has gone past just by realizing the person who i used to be an entire decade ago (as expected). but there's also the realization that this pivotal historic event has unsuspectingly contributed to my resilience at times when i felt so far away from it. i was two years shy of finishing architecture school back then and was already beat down by naysayers who felt i were too young to continue with the program. they scolded me to have more life experiences before committing to architecture. it only had me fixated on what purpose i had left to uncover. i can only attempt to make world-changing structures such as those circling about 9-11, but already felt enlightened by knowing that such possibilities exist. i see the ever-changing landscape of my island, the volatility of the industry i am working in and sense a path being carved out subconsciously. it's amazing that with all the steps i have taken and want to continue taking in this journey, they still lead back to home.
yet i think about home and how little has changed in the decade. the 2010 census recently reported that the population has only grown by 4,500 in the last 10 years and you can make that 4,497 since my husband, son, and myself can be omitted from that statistic. the rapidly-increasing costs of living, lack of local government oversight, and political game-playing over the military buildup was just the perfect storm to escape from. as an architect, i had budding hope i would contribute greatly to a fastly-growing infrastructure. i dabbled in commercial projects and the inevitable bottoming-out of the economy eventually pushed me to supporting the "mission" of the military expansion. i was lost and in need of direction from the distraction of all things brewing in the local outcries. even i was reluctant to be part of those empowered by the cause. and today as if frozen in time, little change has been made in the vast master plan that is home and that is my life...and that is the military buildup. that might be the single-most positive and negative quality of Guam, that you can count on it to not change.
