Thursday, July 4, 2013

Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Wait...that's me!

Today started out like any other day. Although I had been waiting for weeks to get the results from the BACB, I tried to put it in the back of my mind. I even started planning alternate career choices if I didn't feel like redoing my course work. Call me a negative realist.

I sat in the movie theatre, waiting for Despicable Me 2 to start. I checked FB before shutting my phone down, and someone posted on one of the BA message boards that the results were posted.

I panicked.

Do I check now and chance ruining the movie that Joey has been waiting over a year to see?

Or do I wait and get increasingly anxious as the movie goes on.

I checked. The site page looked different. I scrolled down. My jaw dropped.

Then I saw the word PASSED.

Holy crap!

My mom looked at me and asked me what was wrong. I stammered when saying "I passed my exam."

I texted and then called my husband.

I texted my boss and told her I had bad news. She said she couldn't handle any more. I told her she was stuck with me and I passed. She called me crying.

I texted Nick and told him I had bad news. He called me and I told him to buy me that bottle of vodka he owed me.

I texted my closest family members and co-worker friends.

I posted to FB: "What did I do today? Played games, tried not to die in the heat, saw a movie and....found out I'm now a Board Certified Behavior Analyst! In the words of my son: "Boom!"

I am still in shock. This is surreal.

And so a new journey begins. I am beyond excited. And relieved. And proud of myself for not giving up. And forever thankful to my Joey, who started me on this journey. He is forever my inspiration to be a better person. I hope I make him proud.