Allow this to be a disclaimer for this post: I have no idea how I’m going to format it. Most likely it will be a free-form type where I just post running thoughts. Anyway…

I don’t know when it was, but I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary living in Georgia. Yes, I, Tyler Mayforth, have been in the Peach State for about 365 days.

I say I don’t know when it was, but I could look back — or ask my dad, who helped to move me from Texas to Georgia — and find the exact date. For some reason, July 10 sticks out to me as my last day at the San Marcos Daily Record. My last column ran July 11, which would have been the following day. And for another reason, July 17 jumps out to me as the day I started at the Athens Banner-Herald. I could be wrong.

Over the past year, I’ve matured a great deal and been humbled more than I choose to admit. Life teaches you lessons when you think you have it all figured out. I’ll take those opportunities and not regret what I’ve done because I learned from each one. Am I proud of any of them? Not one bit. But they’ve happened — and I’m stronger.

Moving to Georgia put me in a foreign land and broke me out of my comfort zone. I’ve tried to explore as much of this state as possible, but there is still so much more to see and I plan to as soon as I am able. I hit several state parks, saw a bowl game in the Georgia Dome, had an awesome vacation in Savannah and discovered a bunch of great disc golf courses around the area. Later this week, I’ll be headed to Atlanta once again to see the semifinals of the Gold Cup. I read the Georgia Dome was sold out and with it being full of soccer fans, I can only imagine how much fun it will be.

Working at the Banner-Herald pushes me and molds me into a better journalist and co-worker. It’s still jarring to think this is my first full year at a daily newspaper. I’d like to think I’m holding my own and bringing my own style to the readers each day.

When it comes down to it, Georgia — and the Banner-Herald, for that matter — became my “What if?” Now, it’s my “What is.” A smidgen over one year later, I’m glad to have taken the opportunity and turned into the person I am today.