Mresuperstar wrote:
Dear PCMDaily community,

TLR Thank you. You changed my life.

In 2009 I joined this website following a google search on why this cycling game I bought didn't have the correct cyclists' names. I just couldn't take winning another Tour de France with Lance Neilstrong, so I downloaded a real name database.

I honestly didn't think too much of it at the time. But, after a while, I kept coming back to PCMDaily looking for graphical and technical answers to problems I was having in-game. After a while I began to stick around even more and reading these stories about other people's careers.

Eventually, I decided I wanted to do that as well and EA-Sony Ericsson was born. I could count my followers on one hand, but it didn't matter because I just enjoyed telling my own story. The writing was awful and there had to be spelling mistakes in nearly every paragraph, but over time I learned and got better.

Fast forward a few years and I was a regular in the community and had built up my readership following with my Andy Schleck: The Quest for History triumph and I join the man-game. IRL I graduated from high school and had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. So, I decided to post this thread.

Crazy, I know. Asking strangers for advice on the internet.

Well, I did my general education studies at my local college for the first year to help decide what I wanted to do. I came to the conclusion that Management Information Systems wasn't for me and I went out on a limb (much to the advice provided in that thread) and decided to pursue a degree in Journalism.

My family didn't understand it at first, but they came around to the idea after I told them about my "secret" life of writing on PCMDaily. Showing them all this support my new story The Comeback was receiving really turned their heads.

I remember my dad saying, "Wow, I didn't know you could write like this. Who are these other people? I like this guy, 'This reads like a movie script.'"

Without taking a single journalism class, I applied for this unpaid internship for an online sports blog publication. When he asked me for a writing sample, I sent him a link to The Comeback. I got the job and wrote columns for two years about one of my favourite sports teams, the Detroit Red Wings.

I got my foot in the door. After getting college credit for that internship, it was time for me to move on and I applied to become a sports reporter for my college newspaper last year, my senior year. I had taken classes with the newly appointed sports editor and got the job.

I cover sports for one of the best Division II colleges in the United States. I sat court side at volleyball games, in the press box as our football team advanced to the national quarterfinals (and eventually semis), covered the softball team run to the college world series, interviewing countless amazing coaches and student-athletes including one of the weirdest interviews of all-time with a half naked hockey player in his locker room. Memories to last a lifetime.

To be brief, it was the best experience of my life (so far).

All that has led up to this moment. I have now graduated from college and have been offered a sports reporting job to continue writing for a newspaper in North Dakota.

A long ways from home in Michigan, but I'm heavily considering the offer. Odds are I will be taking the job and will have to take a few weeks off from PCMDaily as I relocate to my new home.

This is a huge milestone in my life, my first real-world job!

None of this could have been done without the community support I have received over the years. I had to post this just to say Thank You! It's the least I can do.

I would name specific members, but the list would just go on and on.

PCMDaily changed my life for the better. Forever grateful, Mre.

P.S. This is far from a goodbye. I'm too connect to the community to leave.

P.S.S. If you'd like to follow my professional journey, send me a PM and I'll send you a link to my personal Twitter, and you could give me a follow. I'll only give my Twitter handle to people I trust though. I don't need my personal information floating around PCMDaily. I like my alter ego Mresuperstar.

Mresuperstar wrote:
Thanks everyone for the kind words and support. I have officially accepted the job offer. I'm going to be packing up my things all next week and will be moving to North Dakota sometime the following week. Crazy.

Very happy the MG transfers and favourite cyclist contest ended when they did. Obviously I won't be on Daily much until I get settled into my new place.

So, Island Runners is on hold for a few weeks and The Two of Us is always slow moving it seems (*cough* Blame Ian because my reports are already pre-written... ) Lastly, I'll pop in and out to make sure I'm not slowing the MG down.

Other than that, hopefully I can report back in a few weeks that I've made it safely and surviving life on my own. Don't crash the site while I'm gone, Mre.

matt17br wrote:
The banana has been temporarily deleted because of how some members abused it. One, three, heck even 5 bananas are ok to express your happiness. 100 is not.

matt17br wrote:
The banana has been temporarily deleted because of how some members abused it. One, three, heck even 5 bananas are ok to express your happiness. 100 is not.