Alex Lella's Blog

Accomplishments of 2012

Wow, with 2013 just a few hours away. (In China, that is.) I am asked to talk about my biggest accomplishments of 2012.

The truth is that I haven't accomplished much. I don't feel that the year has been a waste by any means, but I feel that it's been more because of experiences then accomplishments.

One year ago, I toasted in the New Year with my Ecuadorian girlfriend, Johanna, on her family's farm in Machala. I wondered if 2012 would be the year that I got married.

Well, it wasn't. In May of 2012, she left me. Then in June of 2012, I learned that my contract with the school was not being renewed. I was not prepared for this financially, so I ended up flying home to my parents' place in Florida on their dime. Then, I got a job teaching in Saudi Arabia. I flew to Riyadh in August. I started teaching there in September. My contract contained a clause that I could be let go within the first 90 days, but they assured us that the school hardly ever did that. Well, guess what? They did it fo me. I never learned the reason.

But then I got this job in China, and I've been back here since October.

Like I said, I've had quite a few experiences in this year, but I wouldn't really call them accomplishments.

You know what, I think my greatest accomplishment, may have been the one that happened a few months ago when I became a WDC preferred author. It doesn't seem like much, but it was definitely one of my prouder moments.

Alex