Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I used to think this was a good interview question, as it made the interviewee have to make some sort of commitment to a plan, and to think about and invest in the future. The other day however, I thought about what my answer to that question would have been 5 years ago (let's not even talk about 10), and where my life actually is now. Let's just say I would have flunked fortune-telling 101.
Ok, I still think there are SOME merits to this train of thought. Planning for the future allows you to have goals to work towards instead of wandering aimlessly, and thinking about the end-point does help shape the present substantially. But what does it mean when the destination reached is so different from what was planned? Does it mean the person was hopelessly deluded and way off track? Does it mean (drumroll please...) FAILURE? I don't think so. We're changing so much all the time, and 10 years is a significant proportion of a 30-year old, or even a 40-year old! Experiences shape us constantly, and our needs and wants change with every little milestone in our lives (hook-ups, break-ups, make-ups, hirings, firings, you get the idea...). We should have an idea of which direction we're heading in, but it's perfectly ok to land up somewhere else.
This is not some abstract discussion. My life has changed so much in the last year that I wouldn't even believe where I'm standing. I've made a HUGE job switch, I'm married (to a very very lovely man), living in a house of our own, and all that I thought I knew turns out to be a mystery. But I'm also happier than I've ever been, maybe even happier than I thought I could be. The whole time I was growing up, I thought that the only way to do things was to be a high-flying career woman. At the medical school interview (which WAS ten years ago!), the know-it-all-self-righteous-me was offended (!) when the old Prof asked me how I was going to juggle being needed in the hospital when my child was sick at home. The old man knew more than me about the ways of this world, because as much as I did enjoy my job, there is no fight at all as to who would win that battle.
I thought it was 'old-fashioned' to stay at home any longer than the 3 months maternity leave duration. I thought it unthinkable that I would not want a maid. I wanted to be the HOD, the CMB, heck, even a trauma surgeon! And where am I now?
I don't feel guilty or envious of my peers who passed the march exam and are now registrars. I thought I would be, but all i feel is very lucky that I had the last few months to myself, and to our little new family. I wouldn't have traded that time for anything in the world because I feel I am a better, happier person for it, and what do we live for if it's not to be happy. I had a choice and I made it. And I hope I never forget that we always have options, it was a really amazing thing to discover.