2012 in Review

For the ninth year in a row, I am ending my year with a "Year in Review" post. It has become one of my favorite and longest-lasting traditions, as it gives me the opportunity to reflect on that which I accomplished over the past year. 2012 was certainly an interesting year. Per my usual, I will provide a month-by-month rundown of the year and will provide some thoughts at the end.

January: I began 2012 with the idea that I was going to run a marathon, and I took the necessary steps to get myself ready to do so. I had only been running for a couple weeks prior to making this decision, but I felt that my life would be more manageable and meaningful if I had a long-term goal to attack every day. It was something to occupy my thoughts and attention, especially when one of my jobs started to become less enjoyable.

February: I might have to keep a daily diary in 2013, because once again, I cannot think of anything particularly exciting or noteworthy from this February. I worked and I worked out. That's it.

March: Work and marathon training once again dominated the month. My sister and I did get to make a trip to Woodfield Mall, during which I got lost and drove nearly an hour too far north. Oops.

April: I celebrated my 25th birthday with more marathon training and a very busy work schedule between subbing and the learning center. At this point, I was really starting to feel burnt out, but I was so close to my goal, I simply could not let up. It was a good month, and it is always nice to be remembered on my birthday.

May: I culminated months of training by completing my first marathon. While the last six miles were miserable and I did not finish with the lofty goal time I had set for myself, I still accomplished something fairly impressive. My body paid the price for the rest of the month, and I was in a lot of pain while finishing up what would be my last month of substitute teaching.

June: To say that June was an eventful month would be an understatement. I began the month by rewarding myself for completing the marathon with a vacation to Seattle. The trip started off on the wrong foot as my luggage was taken. Eventually, it was returned, and I had a good (though lonely) trip and got the opportunity to see Rex, Zach, and Jon while I was there. I also got to tour the Seahawks' stadium and set foot on the field. At the end of the month, I finally had the opportunity to meet another friend in person after a number of near-misses. Though the time we spent was short, it meant a great deal to me to be able to have that time.

July: July was a challenge, plain and simple. From long double shifts at the learning center to warm temperatures to foot pain to a less than enjoyable trip to Charles Mound to scale Illinois' highest peak, July started to feel like Summer of Sorrow, Part II. At this time, I started to pursue other job opportunities and had a number of interviews with Examkrackers about heading up their Midwest program. There were some other things that did not go my way as well.

August: After receiving disappointing news from Examkrackers concerning the Regional Coordinator position I had interviewed for, I was very apprehensive about my future. Out of the blue came the opportunity to interview for a teaching position at an alternative school. By "out of the blue", I mean that this was a job I had applied for in summer of 2010. I was offered the position and accepted, ending a very long quest for a full time teaching job. While the work is challenging, it is a major step in the right direction. In addition to that, I took an enjoyable trip downtown with the family.

September: I started to get settled into my job, which at this point was working as a co-teacher in a classroom. My body finally got back to 100 percent, and I ran my best 5k time to date. Heidi and I also had another nice trip to Woodfield Mall.

October: Things transitioned at work. Instead of co-teaching a class, I finally had a class of my own. Though this meant my responsibilities increased, it was nice to be the one with all the authority in my own classroom.

November: As I have gotten older, I have liked November more and more. I don't really know why. It was a good month at work. I participated in No-Shave November. Thanksgiving was enjoyable, and I ran the Tinley Turkey trot and finished 69th out of 887 runners. I set goals, and I achieved them. I spent another Black Friday in the city, and while the weather was a bit chilly, it was still a good time.

December: I finally got to experience an NFL game at the stadium, as my dad and I went to Soldier Field to see the Seahawks face the Bears. Though I was in the vast minority as a Seahawks fan, the Bears fans were cordial to me, and I left the stadium happy after the Seahawks won in overtime. Though work was challenging and I got sick towards the end of the year, it was still a positive month.

I will probably always remember 2012 as the year I made things happen. I set a number of goals for myself and achieved them. I got rid of a number of bad habits along the way. Things got tough, and I did not do as my younger self would have done and rolled up into a ball. I took my hits, and hit back twice as hard. Things were never easy, but they got done.

One thing I will remember about 2012 is that I took care of my business with no one holding my hand. I had a support system at home and from scattered online friends, but I didn't get coddled through things. Of my four longest and closest friends, I saw them all a combined 3 times, none after July. I didn't really hear from them much, either. Younger Jakob would've shuddered at such a thought. This Jakob kept on trucking.

Was 2012 as enjoyable as 2011? Probably not. 2011 was full of amazing moments. But was 2012 a bad year? Absolutely not. 2011-2012 remind me a lot of 2007-2008. One year was full of enjoyable but ultimately meaningless moments, and the other was difficult yet highly productive.

After a year where I have done literally everything I wanted to do, I am left with one question: Where do I go from here? At this point, I honestly have no clue. I'll have to give it some thought and attack 2013 with the same ferocity that I attacked and defeated 2012. I can only wonder what 2013 will hold.

2012 in List Form

2012 was an interesting year. I am probably more obsessed with the Seahawks than at any point in my life, and I am probably farther away from pop culture now than at any other point in my life. It was not the great year for music that 2011 was, but it was still good. I actually found myself listening to more Indie/Folk Rock than Pop Punk. The year was pretty good for television, but nothing stood out one way or another, other than the end of House. The year was full of some monumental personal moments as well, as I finally accomplished some major goals. I am excited to share these moments with you.

As I posted last year, everything is ranked by my arbitrary personal preference. I don’t consider myself to be the preeminent source for any of these things, but I do like what I like. This just gives you a better glimpse into my personal pop culture

Albums
1. fun. – Some Nights
2. The Lumineers – Self-Titled
3. Capital Lights – Rhythm 'n' Moves
4. The Killers – Battle Born
5. Neon Trees – Picture Show
6. Anberlin - Vital
7. The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten
8. Mumford & Sons – Babel
9. The Used – Vulnerable
10. Yellowcard – Southern Air

Songs
1. The Lumineers – Stubborn Love
2. fun. – We Are Young
3. Perfume Genius – Dark Parts
4. Capital Lights – Coldfront Heatstroke
5. Neon Trees - Still Young
6. Tim McMorris – Overwhelmed
7. The Gaslight Anthem – 45
8. Heroes for Hire – Heart Stops
9. Imagine Dragons – Radioactive
T10. Hit the Lights – Float Through Me
T10. Phil Phillips – Home

New Bands (to me)
1. The Lumineers
2. Imagine Dragons
3. Count Your Blessings
4. The Sun and the Sea
5. Tim McMorris
6. Her Bright Skies
7. Thrice
8. With the Punches
9. Perfume Genius
10. Eric Hutchinson

TV Shows
1. NCIS: Los Angeles
2. NCIS
3. Burn Notice
4. White Collar
5. Psych

Sports Moments
1. Russell Wilson leading the Seahawks to an OT win over the Bears (which I saw in person)
2. Seahawks' domination of the 49ers on Sunday Night Football
3. Seahawks' late game magic to defeat the Patriots
4. Seahawks 58, Cardinals 0
5. Dolph Ziggler winning Money in the Bank

Places to Eat
1. Granite City
2. Red Robin
3. The Grand Buffet
4. Noodles & Company
5. Fuddrucker’s

Classes to Teach
1. Mr. Duehr's 6th Grade class at AAA Academy

Websites
1. Facebook
2. My World, My Words
3. Jigzone
4. Sporcle
5. Yahoo! Sports

Personal Moments
1. Going to Bears/Seahawks, December 2
2. Finishing a Marathon, May 5
3. Getting hired for my first full time teaching up, August 23
4. Meeting a longtime friend, June 29
5. Portland with ZB and dinner with ZB and Jon, June 7
6. Summer trip into the city, August 18
7. Dinner with Rex, June 4
8. Touring CenturyLink Field, June 6
9. Trip to Michigan City, June 9
10. Black Friday in the city, November 23

Veni, vidi, vici.

This will be the first of three "End of 2012"-themed posts. It's been quite a year, and while I will get into greater detail later, it is time to assess how well I did in attacking my 2012 checklist. If any of this post reads like a HumbleBrag, that is not my intent. It is merely an evaluation and an indication of the effect of hard work on achieving goals.

Going into 2012, I had a number of goals. Most of them were posted in the 2012: Let NOTHING Stand in Your Way, but some were posted elsewhere. For the benefit of you, I'll re-post all my goals as well as the success I did or did not have in accomplishing them.

• Run at least 1000 miles over the course of the year.
Running replaced the elliptical as my preferred cardio workout. Though I had some foot problems for the majority of the summer, I was able to push through and achieve this goal. Of course, this goal was fairly easy because it went hand in hand with another goal. Goal Status: Mission accomplished.

• Run a marathon.
In January, I decided to accept the challenge of running a marathon, despite only having run for about a month before that. I liked the idea of a high-scale, long-term tangible goal that I was working towards every day. By May, I was ready to run a marathon. The last six miles were exponentially more difficult than the first twenty miles, but I completed a marathon. Goal Status: Mission accomplished.

• Continue work on getting the abdominal six pack.
I am very close to achieving this goal. This was more of a secondary goal than a primary goal. I am proud of the work I accomplished on this end as well as all of the physical goals for the year. Goal Status: In progress

• Become a more patient driver.
I still like to get to places when in my own time, but I have improved in my goal of feeling less frustrated whilst driving. Definitely a win. Goal Status: Mission accomplished.

• Figure out my professional life in the moderate-term.
I traded two part time teaching jobs for one full time teaching jobs. Is it where I imagined I'd be? No, but I don't have to sleep with the uncertainty of whether not I will be working the next day. Every day is an adventure, but I know what to expect. Goal Status: Mission accomplished.

• Take a vacation.
After running the marathon, I rewarded myself with a trip to Seattle, with a day spent in Portland, Oregon, as well. Though the trip had a rough start, it was nice to get away and see some friends. Goal Status: Mission accomplished.

• Meet Jannelle.
After three years, she was indisputably on the top of my "To Meet" list. It finally happened, and I am happy for that. Goal Status: Mission accomplished.

• Cut down on the use of social networking.
I no longer have a Twitter. I use Facebook primarily for messaging/posting mildly humorous daily observations (and largely stayed off the site during the entire election). My presence on Stickam has greatly diminished. Did what I set out to do. Goal Status: Mission accomplished.

• Expand my writing kingdom.
I did not accomplish this secondary goal. As busy as I have been with my classroom, I had to prioritize. Ultimately I would like to eventually get another site or two up and running, but that is a want and not a need. It will happen. Just give it time. Goal Status: In progress

I had a number of things I wanted to do this year. If you were to have asked me about them in January, I honestly would not have expected to accomplish all that I did. But if there's one thing I learned this year, it is that hard work breeds success, and success provides the impetus to keep working hard. It's a constant and sustainable cycle for positive results.