I see on Facebook friends doing this 10-year challenge and I got tempted. When I realized how tough 2009 was for me, I decided to take part in this challenge. I don't think I am exaggerating, but I feel like 2009 was the very worse year of my life on a professional and financial level. To get an idea, I was working Monday to Friday 9-7 (NO SHITE) FOR 300 Euros per month.

It was the year I started working as a training lawyer despite graduating in 2006. See, I spent 26 months serving voluntarily in the special forces of the Greek Navy&NATO and had a few accidents during my service, one almost fatal. All this experience delayed everything in my life but it's all good. Very proud to serve my country with actions and not words. I will never regret this!

So, what else happened in 2009? That year was so transitional for me that it feels almost surreal now that I think about it. I moved in a very small apartment at Exarchia with my then girlfriend (who worked as a training lawyer too at the time), but 3 or 4 months later I would return in my own apartment in Asklipiou. Things didn't work out for various reasons, even though there was a very pure kind of bondage between us. Oh well!

I fully realize that some of my posts probably make me look a little too cocky to some of you, but then again many of you (the Greeks especially) have your dadda and mama taking care of you to this age, so I show sympathy if you get jealous, irritated and annoyed with my unique and totally authentic style since you can't relate to me really. I don't even remember when was the last time I asked ANYTHING from my parents. I won't inherit shit either, so I am very proud for all I have accomplished (and will accomplish) in life. I fully depend on me and that makes me so strong-minded.

Furthermore, being politically unbound/uncommitted and open about it, has made things even worse for me. Sometimes I feel like EVERYTHING I've achieved in life was because of God's Will and me "dying trying." I am not obliged to NO ONE but God and my mom who brought me to this world.

Going back to the 10-year challenge though, this was my TV, my closet and library in 2009. For that matter, what you see was my personal space in that little apartment. Next is my TV set now. Great upgrade, but then again I've worked so hard for all of this.
[IMAGE: https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmVoESxYNtLtqMBHTTiKU1yTr2Cd96tehk54aktEijnu8X]