It took close to a month to get it right, but I finally was able to finish putting together this post, which details the experiences I had while attending my first live poker event, the 2016 PCA. While there was much to reminisce about, more important than anything was properly conveying my gratitude to the many, many people who helped make my trip so special. Thank you to everyone who so warmly embraced me as a member of the poker community. Whether I met you at the PCA or not, I hope you’ll take the time to read through what it was like for me.

Today marks the last day of my life as an outsider in the poker media world. After years of working hard to carve out a niche and an audience for my work, tomorrow, for the first time, I finally get to step into the poker world for real. Tomorrow, as I land in the Bahamas to cover the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, my perspective on poker changes forever. Here’s to special opportunities and making the most of them.