In 2017 I have gained some experiences that I think simply couldn’t be explained, only experienced. I feel like a broken record saying this here yet again, but this year I was able to go to GDC, meet a bunch of you in person, joined this forum and wrote many a thank you note. As it would turn out, a sudden delayed reply from one of these thank you notes would also result in giving me the opportunity to an early morning final Thank You to a one of a kind feline friend 
for whom I feel I shall never see an equal to again. That one of kind pet friend. It’s a long story, and its events may very well been happenstance, but it is done. It is history.
I also was finally able to get a new computer after far too long an unneeded and unwarranted delay. Another story. I have so many stories, and it doesn’t even feel like I’ve done anything yet. I wonder if that’s a good thing or not.
In 2018, I’m not getting any younger. Darn! Really though, in 2018 I will either start a career as a Realtime VFX artist or I “never” will. At minimum I simply need to get into this Realtime Industry. With context and personal reasons being key to choices, I have in these last few years been, perhaps foolishly, holding my self back in various ways. I’ve made choices to keep my eyes on the VFX prize. I have “suffered” for convenience. I’ve totally redirected my life once it became clear that the sheer possibility to become a VFX artist was actually a possibility for me. 
Now that I finally have my own “Modern 2017” computer, and presuming fate doesn’t jump in and “sike” me yet again; I’m going to go full throttle with this and it’s going to be quite painful I expect. As a generalist, I’m going to have to really force myself to not get distracted on all the other non-VFX stuff I’m interested in learning more about and simply want to make right now. Lighting, Texturing, Environments, Design… it’s all amazing interesting stuff. There simply isn’t enough stamina in a day. Yet none of those career paths hold a candle to the sheer glee I get from my experiences with VFX creation. I’m going to do what I feel I gotta do. Since you are here reading this, I expect you will see what I mean… Soon.
In till then…
Happy New Year All!
10th of January Edit: … or should I?