As we reach the final hour of 2012, I look back onto these past 12 months and realize how much my life has changed in that amount of time. I find it ironic that despite all the changes I’ve experienced since January 1st, I am spending December 31st in the same place.

On the morning of January 1st, I was helping  nbowa make breakfast for dozens of house guests when  dantee surprised me with an earlier-than-expected visit. That really made my weekend and was a great way to ring in 2012.

I finished up my life at Ohio State during the first 5 months of 2012, in the classroom, on the job, and on the radio. I joined  albaz for a volleyball class in the winter and for a softball class in the spring. I rediscovered my love for geography and pushed my way through my last two actuarial math classes. I was assigned to most of men’s volleyball home matches with Justine, who grew into a well versed broadcaster during the course of the season. I remember having a lump in my throat when Ohio State’s season ended in a 5-set heart breaker in the conference championship match vs. Lewis. I was called on to broadcast 3 of the 4 Ohio State games during the Big Ten Baseball Tournament at Huntington Park in downtown Columbus.

In April, I was given large amount of responsibility in running much of the fursuit programming at FCN. I was in charge of two sets of fursuit games as well as the convention’s fursuit dance competition. Having to run four events (dance prelims, dance finals, two fursuit games) was a lot of work, but very rewarding. The fursuit games were entertaining for the audiences, fun for the fursuiters, and I still have not had to call the squad because of them, knock on wood! There were plenty of concerns about running a dance competition less than a month after FWA’s, the granddaddy of all fursuit dance competitions. Nonetheless, we were given a Saturday primetime spot and did not disappoint. The ballroom was packed to see over a dozen great performers tear up the floor. I cannot wait for FCN 2013.

In May, things ended between Dantee and myself. There was no bitterness, no hatred, nothing like that. It was a simple case of knowing what was best for us as individuals and as friends long term. To this day, I am thankful for everything Dantee has meant to my life and do not regret sharing ten months of my life with him as boyfriends. He is a kind, caring, and generous man who will make someone very happy in the future.

In June, I graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s in actuarial science. Friends came from all over the east coast and Midwest to help me celebrate. It was exciting beyond words; to sacrifice four years of my life toward a single goal and be able to realize it in the presence of the people who are the most important to me. My parents even came into Columbus to watch and treat myself, :robypanther:, November:, and Nbowa to dinner.

During the summer, I continued my job search with a few bites but without a job offer. I continued studying daily for actuarial exam FM/2, sometimes up to and beyond 30 hours per week. The number of rejections was discouraging, but I continued with my studying. In August, I passed Exam FM/2 with a score of 7 and put my career search into turbo mode.

The next several months saw me searching cross country for actuarial work, being forced away from Columbus to make money and being able to pay the bills. Those next two months were two of the roughest months of my life. I was away from my friends constantly. I was forced to make drives to Cincinnati. I ended up doing countless phone interviews. I even flew to Houston for an interview. It was disheartening, at best. I had given four years of my life, worked two jobs at all stages of my college career, kept my GPA above 3.0 all the way through graduation, yet I had nothing to show for it.

Finally, after keeping my friends updated on my job hunt, :squipwuff: suggested that I talk to his former boss about an opening with his company. The position was not an actuarial position, but required a strong ability to analyze data and communicate the findings with higher management. After balking at first, I decided to throw a dart at the board, see if this one would stick since nothing else was.

After several good phone interviews, they asked me to come in for an on-site interview in Chicagoland on the weekend of MFF. Win-win situation if I had ever seen one. That next week, they made a job offer to me which I accepted one week later!

In December, I moved to Chicagoland where I live currently with Squip for the time being. I started my new career as an inventory operations analyst on the 10th with a business trip to Las Vegas. Earlier this week, I received a phone call from a leasing manager in Bensenville. I will be moving into my own apartment in early February 2013.

2012 was an amazing year. I love all my family and friends for encouraging me through college, sticking with me through the tough times that were my post-college months, and being there for me when I got my new career. I don’t know where I would be without them.

2013 will be an even better year. I will have financial stability. I will call Chicagoland my home. I will make new friends. I will get healthier. I will help my company become more profitable and more efficient. And I will be happier and more successful!

Happy 2013 everybody!!!