Monday, December 31, 2012

My Biggest Personal Accomplishments of 2012

Here are the ten things that I've accomplished this year that I am the most proud of.

10. Turning 21 Gracefully
I did not drink at all until this year.  I of course have gotten carried away a few times, but overall I have figured out the bar scene and am able to have fun while still being responsible.

9. Kind of Figuring Out Dating
Now I have been single throughout all of 2012.  However being single was much more fun this year.  I have gotten better at flirting and just being a friend.  I even got to a few second dates.  Now there have been many bad things that have happened involving dating, but on the whole I am getting better and more confident.

8. Going to Disney World
This really is not my accomplishment, but it was the highlight of my year.  Disney World is just all kinds of awesome and as a lifelong Disney fan it really was a dream come true.

7. Growing an Awesome Beard
This is getting the longest it has ever been


6. Writing More
I always start writing but rarely ever finish anything.  This year has been the most productive for me creatively.  I have started this blog (which I could do better at updating consistently).  The best post was my review for Pocahontas, I need to work on more things similar to that.  In addition to the blog (with close to 2,000 hits as of this writing) I have written several poems and short stories that I am working on compiling and several stand-up jokes (although my comic output has definitely slowed).  Hopefully I write more in 2013 and keep improving.

5. Pastoral Nominating Committee
I volunteered to be on my Church's pastoral nominating committee in late 2010, we finished in mid 2012.  It was one of the most stressful things that I have ever been on, but all of the difficulty was balanced by my great committee who were perfect to work with.  God did lead us to the right candidate who has started at my Church and is doing great.  It is nice to see the hard work pay off.


4. Auditioning for National Theatre for Children

In June I decided that I would really like to get into children's entertainment.  Normally when I want to do something I think for a long time about doing it before moving on to the next fantasy.  But I had an audition that I drove down to the cities for.  They have not called back and judging by how the audition went I am sure I was out of the running early on.  But it is something out of the ordinary that I wanted and I tried for.  It is one of the risks I am the most proud of.


3. Deciding to Go Back to School/Leave Fargo

I decided to take a break from school a year ago.  It was a good decision, but I could only take so much time off and needed a decision.  I had tried out several, including AmeriCorps, but I had been waitlisted as there was not enough room.  Eventually I had grown enough as a person to be able to make my own decisions and finishing school was something I needed to do.  And after being in Fargo for my whole life I am happy that I was at a point where I was ready to try new experiences somewhere else.


2. Funny Fargo People You've Probably Never Heard Of

I think I may have performed more this year than any other.  I continued my fourth year as an improviser as part of Linebenders and had really committed to stand-up.  But after waiting on others for so long I made a decision to start putting on my shows and push myself in different directions.  Several of the shows I put on did not take off, but the six Funny Fargo People shows I did at Theatre B where definitely an accomplishment.  They started out as stand-up showcases, where I was able to give more stage time to many of the area's best comedians who were needing a break.  The shows turned into more experimental as I used it to try out long-form improv and just play with the talented people in the area.  However the best show was when I put together a read-through of The Star Wars Holiday Special.  It was so absurd and ridiculous and the talented cast committed to making it fun for the cast and the audience.  I discovered that I really like putting together and experimenting with shows.

1. Working as a Direct Care Provider
I started working as a Direct Care Provider with people with different abilities in mid-2011, but this year I picked up more clients, more hours and made closer connections with my clients.  This job not only provided me with an income, but also a sense of purpose and many strong reliable relationships.  I just finished this job and it was very emotional as this had become more than a job to me.  This is the thing I will miss the most from 2012.

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