2009 year in review.
So, 2009 is coming to an end and 2010 is fast approaching! I am ready for it and excited about all the things that are going to happen to my life and my career this year. I honestly don’t think I have ever been as excited as I am about this New Year coming. You see, I just had the craziest year of my life and figured I would share a bit of it with you all. If you actually care awesome! if not then you may want to move on now. The pictures above will correspond with the events as I list them here.
This time last year I was in New York City bringing in the New Year in Times Square at the ball drop. Me and My friend and roommate at the time MIKE decided we would go visit our good friend Micheal Andino and bring in the New Year the right way. Prior to leaving for New York, my ex girlfriend Rachael and me had broken up months before and I had decided around Thanksgiving that I HAD to be back with her. I begged and pleaded and did everything in my power to be back with her and she turned me down time after time. UNTIL right before Christmas. She decided that she did indeed love me and wanted to maybe try to make it work, needless to say some of the most anxious moments of my life at the time. SO while bringing in the New Year I had all this hope … you know the “this year is going to be the best year ever” hope! After the most amazing experience of being in New York for New Years I felt great and returned home to start my relationship again with Rachael. I had decided this is going to be the girl I marry and wanted to do anything to make sure that would happen. We both decided after some time that she would move in with me to my newly bought house in Columbia, S.C. Things were great! In fact better than they ever were before. We lived together for about 4 months and then the shit hit the fan. We got into a huge argument and to make a long story short she ended up cheating on me. So that meant it was over. She eventually moved out … on not so good terms and that was that. My four-year relationship had finally come to an absolute end. This was both good and bad for me. She hates my guts now but that’s ok because I still think she is an amazing human being and will do great things in her life and I wish her the best of luck.
So here I was end of a four-year relationship and not sure what I wanted to do. After lots of sulking and eating, I had started to really analyze what I wanted to do with my life. My best friend Chris Roberts was moving to Riverside California to go to grad school for Chemistry and to do research out there and I had decided I was going to move with him and go back to school to get my Bachelors’ Degree. I have an Associate as of now because my school at the time was not offering a Bachelors’.
I called one of my professors up from school and he told me:
Prof: “You don’t wanna move to California, you wanna move to Chicago… I have been telling you this forever.”
Me: “no I do not wanna move to Chicago I wanna move to California”
Prof: “nope” … click.
He called me back soon after and said he had set up some things for me and I should be expecting a call from The Art Institute of Chicago soon.
Me: “ but …”
Prof: “ YES….” Click
SO the school called me and I ended up deciding to go to School in Chicago. I had made a decision that would change my whole entire life. I had to dedicate my self to doing this and toke every step necessary to doing so. You see breaking up and being cheated on was the best thing to happen to me. It pushed me to do the things I have always wanted to do. So here I was about to move to Chicago to start school again. I had a GREAT job at WIS News 10 in Columbia S.C. as a Senior Graphic designer and it was solid. I knew they would never fire me and that felt good. Also I had just bought a house 2 years prior and a new car! All these great things in preparation to settling down and getting married soon. WELL here I was with these things and had to change it all.
I ended up renting my house out and selling my car, and ultimately quitting my great and solid job at WIS-TV. More importantly I was leaving my home and all my friends (TFDS!) and great mentors I had in S.C. I was leaving a job with the greatest boss of all time HUGH JACOBS. I can’t thank that dude enough. He gave me a chance and opportunity to really prove what I am capable of. He hired me when I came in with a weird orange tie on and “the fade” hair cut. I was a mess and he still saw potential in me and let me grow into the designer I am today. He was very much a second father figure in my life for sure. I am super glad he was a part of it. Trey Floyd greatest co-worker of all time and Damien Lee Beniot helped show me things I never knew about. All these people help mold me in the designer and doer that I am today thanks guys!
So with House rented out, car sold and job done I had a couple of months left before the big move to Chicago. All I had was a motorcycle still and things to prepare for, the last thing I thought that was going to happen is that I was going to meet a girl and fall for her hard. Well that happened. The saying “when your not looking you will find it” is true in so many ways its crazy. I met a girl name Paulina, and well she essentially ruled and am happy she came into my life. She showed me so many things about people and just really helped me understand what I was looking for in my life. I know she is going to hate me for posting this but oh well. THANKS PAULINA for everything you truly are a great person and I know you are really going to do amazing things and excited to see what those things will be. Keep on keeping on. BREE BREE BREE. … I know you hate me … we get it. ;)
So after lots of hang sessions with new friends and being all about this girl the time had come where I had to pack up the moving truck and go. Brian Theil who had decided he wanted to move as well packed up and we drove to Chicago in a moving truck on Dec 5th. Leaving everything behind us. Leaving our families and friends behind us to venture into the unknown. To push ourselves as hard as we could in order to progress in our lives. The move was scary; and still is but we arrived to a house with no heat and 16 degree weather in a new HUGE CITY! There was lots of anxiety and fear but we had committed to doing and we did it! Went back for Christmas for a week and here we are in Chicago about to bring in the New Year.
Here I am in Chicago, with some of my favorite people EVER. Pepper (aka Stephanie) and Wes. This time last year I was in New York. It almost seems that I went full circle to just end up back in city where I was suppose to be the whole time. I am not a religious person by any means but I truly do believe that I was meant to be in a city to further my career and life. I really do think that everything happens for a reason and well I am just following that as of right now. I will truly miss all the people back home, more than they all understand and have made some truly amazing friends. You know who you are.
I think I might make it a point from now on to spend every New Year somewhere new from now on. This year I am going to bust my ass and really become the creative and inspired individual that I know I am. I am going to become the best at what I do and nothing is going to stop me from doing that. I am going to travel my ass off and explore areas that I have always wanted to. I am thinking Southern California, Las Vegas, Canada, Europe maybe … you know just see things and enjoy things. I am going to meet tons of new people and have tons of new experiences and I am going to mature and grow even more in my self than I ever have. I am truly excited for all these things and excited for everyone else’s personal endeavors as well. I left out so many important things but this is getting to long and if you made it this far DAMN! You rule. haha
So here’s to the New Year! Here to all of you people that have made me what I am today, here’s to all the bad and good things I have been through, because with you all I would not be doing what I am now!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2010 !
(mom, dad, logan I love you guys)
