Gold Star

Old news now, but I found out mid-July that I passed my final actuarial exam!!! That left me with just a 10 page paper to write before my actuarial studies were completed - graduation will take place in December if the paper is deemed worthy. Even two months later, this is still surreal. I never have to study ever again. Wow - what a paradigm shift after 8 years of non-stop studying.

Words on a website cannot convey how excited I am or how much this changes EVERYTHING in our family. No guilt from not studying or reading a book for enjoyment. Time to be with family. Time to enjoy life, take on projects, etc. More money is nice too...

A year ago, I wrote a depressing post about how this exam process was going on forever and I couldn't get the support I needed. I ended by saying that I need a "gold star or something"...basically, I was calling out for a shot of hope. A few days later I got a very thoughtful letter from our friends at KatieEveryDay, that included TONS of gold stars like the ones below. Still makes me smile - it was completely unexpected and a real lift-me-up. So many sincere thanks, Katie! Thanks to everyone out there for any prayers, well-wishes, help and support, etc. of any kind during this ridiculously long and arduous study process.

Now for the bad news...let's face it...I'll never be done studying. My poor brain can't stop learning. I'm already working on earning a FLMI (I'll explain later) and I'm studying for the GMAT (you can draw your own conclusions), and I'm considering earning a CERA designation (Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst). Marathon Tester, indeed.