Look mama I made it!

**Musical Selection**
**Pat Green**
**http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=30902701**
**The music should start playing when you click on the link.**

I've been waiting a long time for a special post to put Pat Green as the musical selection, I figured this was that special post. Today is a special day for me; 987 hits to rickysroost, 48 posts', and more imporantly 365 days since my residence was in New Mexico.

Yes that's right, you heard correctly, it's already been one whole year that I've been a Texas resident. Looking back on my past 12 months I've had a myriad of experiences.
I remember the day I left with my uhaul towing my truck behind it, like it was yesterday. I don't think I will every forget that day for as long as I live. I was excited to get "my" life started, nervous that I was starting something that I knew nothing about, and sad that I had to leave my family behind.
The next portion of my year was the hardest part, and quite possibly the hardest several months of my life. I'm a very social person and moving here without knowing anyone was incredibly more difficult than I could have ever imagined. I just went to school two nights a week with people who were 2o years older than me and then...THAT WAS IT. That's all I did. If it wasn't for me going to the gym 5 days a week I'm sure I would have went insane. I would go to sleep at 4 or 5am, and wake up in the afternoons. I played xbox and watched too much tv. As I wrote on the website on March 10th, 2006, describing the hardest things I've ever done were/are... "So what's left?...You guessed it, moving to Irving. This has been a rough six weeks, I got nobody to play with, I got no job, and I got no dogs to wrestle with. I moved out here with only my determination, enthusiasm, and my perseverance. This is the hardest thing I've ever done.In retrospect, I can tie my shoes, I'm pretty proficient at walking, I was a late bloomer athletically, I became a member of the greatest fraternity in the world, I PASSED CALCULUS, and I graduated. So I guess this too will pass...didn't someone famous say that? I'll beat this too like everything else, but F$%K this is the hardest thing I've ever done."

After the initial shock and events that came with moving to a place where I didn't know anyone the next portion of my year may have been the most exciting. I met a girl, I got a job, and I finished my first trimester in graduate school. In March I met a girl that I thought was pretty awesome but, as most relationships it didn't work out. Although it wasn't as good as it could have been dating her was a great relief in my life because I was finally able to socialize with someone and get out of my 700 sq. ft. prison cell I had created for myself (my apartment). After volunteering with a professor at UD I was able to get him to recommend me to the Dallas Mavericks and low and behold I finally got myself a job. The playoffs started and evertyhing got exciting, I met some awesome people and was able to finally begin to feel like I could stay in Dallas.

The next portion of my year was a touch stressful. I had classes that I had to finish up and the NBA season was getting ready to start so work was ramping up. My eyelid started twitching uncontrollably - apparently a sign of stress - and I was on the end tip of three consecutive trimesters without a break. I got through that with some quality library time and the help of the great friends I have in Dallas.

So today...my new years eve...I sit and reflect on how far I have come in the past 365 days. I went from wanting to go back home everyday to shopping for houses in Dallas. My goal is to own a home out here by May. I guess you could say I've made a bit of progress in one of the largest cities in the country. As Jay-Z said "look mama I made it!"


Love you all.