2016 has been a rough year for everyone. We’ve witnessed the wholesale humanitarian disaster in Syria and Libya while world powers bicker and back proxy warfare, we’ve lost celebrities left and right, and on a personal note, I grew less satisfied with my personal and career growth as the year pressed on. Yes, that problem is the epitome of privilege. I am fortunate to be worried about ‘growth’ when many in this world don’t have a place to call home.
I spent the majority of 2016 working on myself, and seeking a new job that would afford me the free time to pursue my hobbies and business endeavors. While field biology has been a rich and rewarding experience, I have come to understand how valuable my time truly is. I could justify working 80+ hours a week in 2015, a year where I tried to heal my personal hurt with a full work schedule and no time to worry about the past. That was literally tearing me apart. I set a personal goal in 2016 to change my life; to take leaps of faith and in turn build a better man. I am happy to say that although it was slow going, I am feeling the winds of change and I am letting the sails down to catch them.
I’ve met some incredible new people, started a few incredibly promising businesses, and landed an awesome new job – I am now the IT specialist for three departments in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. It’s a position filled with promise and a little bit of stress (but good stress – I am the go-to IT guy, so the buck stops with me!) and with a full-time position comes some awesome perks – better pay, a 40-hour work week, health insurance, 401k match and the like. I am going to be able to build my IT skills and advance my career with the experience I gain here, all while having the time again to pursue my creative and entrepreneurial endeavors.
Yes, 2016 was a hard year for almost everyone – but if you look long enough, I am sure you had some great times too.
2016 at a glance (Highlights)
- The Con Bros officially launch – and host a party to rave reviews
- I start Bluegrass Expeditions with a good friend and fellow outdoor fanatic
- Gained the courage to actually get to know and put myself back on to the dating scene (results are mixed, but it’s a start, haha)
- Spent three holiday weekends with family that I don’t get to see that often
- Cut down on sugars (mostly in drinks) and lost 20lbs, 2 pant sizes, making more conscious food choices (mainly portion control)
- Moved by myself for the first time, and found a place that saves me so much money that I can save for a down payment to buy a place in Lexington sooner rather than later (my goal is this is my last rented apartment here)
2017 Goals
- I am going to learn to rock climb
- I am getting in better shape
- I am going to start taking more classes (online or in person) to develop programming, IT, and outdoor skills
- The Con Bros will host more parties and attend more cons
- I will FINALLY get my video editing backlog cleared out
- Bluegrass Expeditions will start booking reservations and taking trips in the spring
- I will make significant headway in saving to purchase a house in Lexington
- I will find love? Haha, A guy can dream, right?