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.