in 2019, i found a journal at target called 2,000 things about me. i love things like this—books full of lists, all about me and what i love. narcissistic? maybe. but honestly, it’s more about the writing than the self-delving.
in 2020, after doing some soul homework with my new self, i decided to revisit the journal. i was ready to shred my old, less-than-perfect self and prove how much i’d grown.
reading through it recently, i couldn’t help but laugh at 2020 me—so high and mighty, crossing out half of my 2019 answers. who did i think i was?
kari 2.0, apparently.
last year, i found the same journal at meijer-this one with a thousand more questions.
bring. it. on.
i finished it, and i thought it would be fun to compare my answers with 2019 and 2020 me.
so here are 20 of them for your reading pleasure.
i truly believe that if i didn’t have a blog or a journal – or do my soul homework – i’d be insufferable. it’s good to peek into my dark corners now and then, even if it comes in the form of a 3,000-question get-to-know-me journal from the store.
but all joking aside, this has also been a fascinating experiment during a very interesting stretch of life. between 2019 and 2025, i lived through a pandemic, shifts in our political landscape, deep soul-changing work, menopause, one daughter leaving for college, another navigating public school after homeschooling, the death of a childhood friend while we were no longer speaking, and then the loss of my father.
what a gift this journaling has been—and continues to be.
1- what do you need to grow?
2019 — huh?
2020 — i was so negative last year! i’m growing now — i need to keep reading, listening to others, and love myself.
2025 — space, love, empathy, kindness, nature, animals
2- what’s the first impression you want to give people?
2019 — i’m happy and funny
2020 — that i’ve got good energy
2025 — that i listen when they talk
3- if you could live anywhere, where would that be?
2019 — california: on the ocean, destin, in the mountains
2020 — same, or maybe europe
2025 — where i live now
4- do you have a nerdy side? if so, what brings it out?
2019 — john hughes trivia
2020 — same, and music trivia as well
2025 — i’m all nerdy side
5- what is the simplest truth you can express in words?
2019 — (i left it blank)
2020 — it’s not you, it’s them
2025 — we all die
6- if you started a business tomorrow, what would it be?
2019 — house flipping
2020 — home staging, candle making, donut making, puppy adoption
2025 — reiki, massage, grief support
7- describe mondays for you in one word or phrase
2019 — long
2020 — just another day
2025 — reset
8- what is the best thing about being you?
2019 — i’m very caring and friendly
2020 — i’m forgiving, i’m learning, i’m growing
2025 — i notice the little things
9- what relationship or friendship do you regret ended?
2019 — it used to bother me about friends i’ve lost, but now, i honestly have no regrets
2020 — none. i’ve moved on.
2025 — wendy
10- what is something you’re doing that you never thought you would do?
2019 — writing a blog
2020 — soul searching
2025 — yoga
11- what is something you don’t mind paying more money for?
2019 — massage or pedicure
2020 — food
2025 — weed
12- what or who made the biggest impression on you in the last year?
2019 — ella
2020 — me
2025 — grief
13- name your biggest what if
2019 — what if i went away to college?
2020 — what if i didn’t fail?
2025 — what if none of us had childhood trauma?
14– what do you need more of?
2019 — sunshine
2020 — sunshine, confidence, bravery
2025 — time away from social media
15- what is the best thing to happen to you this year?
2019 — therapy and going to california
2020 — slowing down, soul homework
2025 — watching my daughters follow their dreams
16- what is your vision for you and your family’s future?
2019 — to still be close
2020 — to have a close bond
2025 — i don’t have one. one day at a time.
17- what’s something new you learned about yourself?
2019 — i have adhd (i didn’t get diagnosed, so i don’t know why i wrote this 🤣)
2020 — i’m done with my periods forever
2025 — i don’t enjoy cleaning, but i do enjoy the result
18- what is the main quality you think makes you a good parent?
2019 — putting their needs ahead of mine
2020 — listen and apologize when i’m wrong
2025 — deep compassion and emotional maturity
19- if happiness were the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
2019 — decorating homes
2020 — writing
2025 — helping create zen / safe / quiet spaces in other’s homes
20- if someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say?
2019 — stay at home with the kids
2020 — live moment to moment
2025 — take care of yourself first – mentally and physically – before taking care of others
journaling has been a gift—sometimes fun, sometimes serious, always a way to check in with myself. maybe if you peek into your own corners every now and then, you’ll notice the ways you’re shifting, too. 💜🌈
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A Grace Full Life 
Thanks for sharing such a vulnerable glimpse into your mind. I love observing the change over time. 💜🌈
Also “that i listen when they talk” is such a great first impression goal, and the random piece of advice to take care of yourself first is so good, and something I think we ALL need to be reminded of.
I may need to track down this journal or one similar. It looks like a lot of fun!
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This is very interesting! 2025 Kari possesses a pronounced maturity that 2019/2020 Kari didn’t quite have. Or maybe it’s a world-weariness. Either way, I laughed over your answer to #11. Funny how our priorities change based on what’s going on in our lives, huh? I wish I had done these journals; it would be fun to compare. Best I can do is read through my old blog posts, as I have been doing for quite some time now.
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My mom filled out most of that 2000 book and mailed it to me! That’s fun! She and I also did a mother/daughter scrapbook before she died. You can build so many fun projects around things like this.
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I love seeing how much you’ve grown through those tough years. Kari 2025 has great answers.
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This was so neat to read! I love seeing how your answers changed over time.
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What strikes me the most is how much 2025 Kari wouldn’t exist without 2020 Kari. I love that the best thing about being 2020 Kari is “i’m forgiving, i’m learning, i’m growing.” Yeah! I think the kind of growing you’ve done in the past 6 years parallels that of so many of us. How could we not be different after living through our collective losses and other traumas. Your biggest what if? was a gut punch–what if none of us had childhood trauma? Yes yes yes. I’ve been here for each iteration of Kari, and they are all wonderful in their own way. Never insufferable. 🥰
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“I’m all nerdy side” – I love it!
It’s so interesting to see how we grow and change with the years and with experiences. This is one of the reasons I love having a blog! I love looking back to see where I “was” at a certain time of life.
In a fit of pique I got rid of all my journals that I kept when I was young, and I regret that now. I was embarrassed! But now I would think more kindly on Younger Me.
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I love the comparisons and it does seem like you’ve ‘matured,’ if that’s the right word. I have to say, many of your answers in 2019 would be my answers today :) We could have started a successful home staging business! Just sayin’
I don’t like losing contact with people, so I feel regret for every friendship that has ended. Travel is always the best part of any year for me. 2020 was very difficult for me and honestly, it still pisses me off to think about losing more than a year of my life and all the family moments that were lost.
Thank you for sharing so much insight into your life, Kari. You always give me a lot to think about. XO
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I love this! The idea, the cathartic experience and the fact that you kept them for future reflection.
💕
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This is beautiful, Kari. It’s fun to see how you’ve changed and grown over the years. I know I’ve changed a lot since 2019, in both good and not so good ways. The pandemic, illness, grief and loss have left me feeling weary and wary in a way that I can’t quite overcome. And yet, I’m also more grateful and happier than I’ve ever been.
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What an interesting read, and how fascinating it must have been to see the changes laid out on the paper in front of you.
I do love a fun journal.
Your 2025 answers reveal a person who’s more contemplative and seeking more depth from their life and their interactions than they were in 2019/2020, though you can already see the begins of your journey. Your focus also seems to have shifted away from the material to the more ephemeral, and to living the good life of the philosophers. It’s nice to see growth in black and white: I’m inspired to go poking about in some of my old journals.
Point thirteen is brilliant: what would the world look like without childhood trauma?
Point eleven made me laugh out loud: same, same.
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I’m with you on the Yoga and the Weed…and a bunch of other stuff too!
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