It was exactly 2 years ago today that I graduated from college. It was obviously a bittersweet moment as college was an amazing experience, but was ready to start playing poker. Poker has been an amazing experience and has afforded me a lot of opportunity and freedom that others do not have. At the same time, poker can be a bitch and make me an emotional train wreck. Without a doubt, the highs greatly outweigh the lows. My main goal when I first started playing strategic poker (Fall 2006, yes...omg on Party Poker for about 1 month before UIGEA) was just to win. I remember specifically saying in late 2006 or early 2007 that I would be happy if I beat NL100 and made a bit of money. Well, as I was graduating I was beating NL200. So, my new goal was to save up any money made from poker and return to graduate school after 1 year. Well, obviously poker was too awesome and I had to take another year off.

Now, I am at a crossroads. I have been out of school for 2 years and am returning to graduate school July 12th. All the questions are running through my head. Should I just play poker until it is no longer profitable and then return to grad school (this was a legitimate option)? I can make money at poker now, but is money really what makes people happy? No it doesn't IMO. Once you have a respectable income, anything above and beyond that is just unnecessary. Why do I play poker? Money, freedom, or do I genuinely enjoy it? Will the legality of poker in the United States change in the very near future? Will I hate school (very likely, but so do 99% of students)? School is not really the end game, the career that follows is why you are going to school. I know helping others feel better in the future will provide me self-satisfaction and a certain level of happiness. I obviously won't know the answers to these questions until I live out the next few years, but I can speculate and make what I believe to be the best decisions now.

The REAL 2 year anniversary for May 25, 2010 is NOT me graduating from college. It is a devastating natural disaster that took place just miles (physically) and an hour (real time) after my graduation. It was hot/humid the day of graduation. Okay, that is pretty standard during an Iowa summer. Graduation was indoors. I will never in my lifetime, forgot the feeling of stepping outside of the building after graduation. It was some of the most awful heat/humidity especially when in a graduation gown and cap. The sun was bright, but as we were conversing with classmates/family, the sun seemed to go under the clouds, the sky was darkening, and the wind was gaining speed.

My family and I went to a local restaurant to have dinner. While inside, a strong thunderstorm was coming through the area. The power went out and/or blinked several times while the storm was passing. This happens quite a bit so we did not think too much of it and went on enjoying our meal and celebrating my graduation. The storm had passed, so after the meal, we took a family photo outside of the restaurant. At the time we commented how the sky behind us was very dark/eerie, but little did we know a tornado had just destroyed a local town and killed 8 people. The family parted ways and everybody hit the road to return to their respective homes. Shortly into our journey my sister had called us and told us about the devastation they could see from the interstate. It became very evident that a very serious tornado had just came through the area. When we got home we were of course glued to the TV much like people did on September 11th. The devastation was incredible. This storm system was the first of many in a 2-3 week period which eventually led to the worst flooding in Iowa's recorded history.

I will finish the blog with some incredible photos from the tornado of May 25, 2008 and flooding from June 2008.