This past year, 2023, may have just been the biggest and best year of my life thus far.

I graduated college after five years despite setbacks from Covid. I was so fortunate to be hired for my first full-time job in the industry I love at my favorite radio station, WQMX. I was then able to quit my long-term part-time job of which I loathed.I saw some amazing concerts and even met some cool performers like Riley Green, Megan Moroney, Russell Dickerson, Lainey Wilson and more! I proposed to my now fiancée and moved out of my childhood home into our first home together with her, with a mortgage and everything.

I took motorcycle classes and am now endorsed to ride on my driver's license (if I can find where I lost it). I fixed up an old boat that has been in the family, got both the barge and myself legal to be out on the water, and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of amazing lake days throughout the summer. I bought a cool new daily driver 4x4 and learned stick shift.

We celebrated my Grandma's 90th birthday. My brother, dad, and I experienced our first Buckeyes football game in Columbus. We attended a bunch of weddings and unfortunately also some funeral services. My childhood pup, Spike, reached the end of his road too. I gave up smoking cigarettes.

I won an award for best station imaging within UA's WZIP and had the honor of going to the IBS 2023 college radio convention in New York City with them, where we were nominated for a national imaging award under my leadership as the station's production director. We also scooped up a second-place CBI award for best station imaging at the National Student Media Conference in Orlando. Though I wasn't along for that trip, I compiled our entry which contained a significant amount of my own creative work. I'm proud! 

I'm sure there's quite a bit I still haven't mentioned, but that's probably enough to give you a feel for just how many pivotal things happened to me last year. It certainly wasn't all peaches and cream, but I can't help but feel lucky to have had such a momentous 2023. Through laughter and tears, love and loss, fun and drudgery, and everything in between; it really was a good year!

I'm going to have a tough time topping this past year in 2024, but my motivation to progress in life and make good things happen remains strong as ever. One of the really big things I'm looking forward to is the adoption of my own first dog, Hank the bloodhound. Outside of that, I don't have many firm aspirations planned out. I know I want to learn to use the welder I got for Christmas and work with it to finish up the big buggy project that has been in the garage waiting on me to find the time... but, I digress.

Cheers to 2023, and here's to 2024! I hope yours is everything you want it to be and then some. Take it day by day and keep your eyes on the prize, then do what you need to make it all happen. We've got this!