The future (?) and hobbies

22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
Five years from now I will be 27. If everything goes according to my plan, I'll be married and pregnant with my first child. I'd like to be settled down in a nice town where we feel at home, where I have friends and where we have a life. We have a weekly date night and jobs that we're happy with. We may not have a house yet but we're established. I hope to have been married about two years to my dear husband. We've decorated our apartment in a manner that reflects our taste. Personally, I'll also have a wardrobe that reflects my style. I'll have found an outlet for my creativity and participate regularly. My German skills will be kept up by reading in German and talking to my German family members.
Ten years from now, I'll be 32. My husband and I will have been together for 7 years. Our oldest child will be starting kindergarten and her younger two siblings will be in preschool or still at home with me. By this point, we'll have our own home. Each year we'll take a vacation that will undoubtedly leave us a bit more stressed out but it will be amazing. It'll be Loon Lake with my dad and brother combined with Loon Lake with Ron and Niagara Falls with my parents and Paris with the Inbals and even more than I can imagine. My husband and I will still have our date night but it will be at home after the kids get tucked in most of the time. If we can afford it, we'll get an au pair around this time. Not necessarily because we "need" one but because I want to give back to someone the way I'm being taken care of here. I've had the experience and I've gotten the chance to grow up a bit more and live away from home.
Fifteen years from now, at 37, my oldest child will be in middle school (ten years old). My younger two will be in school as well (at least preschool) and my husband and I will have reached 12 years together. My baby sister will be 24 (which is horrifying!). I honestly cannot think that far ahead. I do know that if my children are in school they won't be a full-time job for me requiring me to stay home. I hope to have some sort of an occupation but I don't know what. Maybe I'll have a day care. Maybe I'll be a photographer. Maybe I'll be a writer. I honestly don't know.

23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
In no particular order...
A) I enjoy cross stitching. It's relaxing and at the end of it, I get a pretty decoration. :) And it's not that expensive either.
B) I absolutely love reading. I've been doing it since I was three but didn't take the time in college to read for pleasure. This year away, however, I've been clinging to reading like it's a life vest and I'm on the Titanic. I love to escape into a different world, to lose my troubles for a little bit. I get to live more times than humanly possible through my books.
C) My enjoyment of knitting, similar to my enjoyment of cross stitching, is for it's relaxing properties as well as for it's purpose. Knitting gets me useful items that I can enjoy and during the time that I am working on the project, I can typically zone out and watch a movie. :)
D) Singing is another hobby that I've been doing for longer than I can remember. I've always been able to match pitch and the ability to make music anywhere anytime is wonderful. :)
E) Baking is something else I love. At one point, I considered being a pastry chef. I love baking. It's so relaxing. When I don't have three little girls trying to help... :) And at the end of it, I get deliciousness!