[Aurel]

Interesting thread. I`ll bite:

10 Years ago: I was 26, in France, living in a tiny apartment in Amiens, 2 minutes walk from the lab where I was doing my postdoc research on Li-ion batteries, under a contract with Bellcore, a US company I did not know much about. I was driving a 80 hp peugeot 205, and I was doing the trip Amiens-Vernouillet every week on that deserted higway where I could cruise at 100 mph and never got a ticket, but blew my motor once.

5 Years ago: I was working for Bellcore in Red Bank, NJ. Living the single guy life, driving a Honda civic and thinking of buying a 911.
Used to travel to Hawaii for conferences on the company, bought my house in Red Bank, dated a few girls...

Now: 36, married, one adorable baby girl. Working for Rutgers University, living in the same house which has improved a lot since my wife took matters in her own hands. Glad I got my big toys (911SC, boat) before I got married ! If I died now, I would go knowing that I lived a good life. But there is a lot more to come.

I have had sign that told my this path was pre-determined. The most striking one is this poster I bought 10 years ago in France. It was showing some fishing tackle, and an old newspaper from Asbury Park fishing club. At this time, I had no clue I would end up in New Jersey. Now, I live not far from Asbury Park, and my wife used to work for the Asbury Park Press. The poster is still on my wall, as a reminder that there are invisible forces at play in our life paths.

Aurel