So, here we are. Day 31 of my 31/31 challenge. The last entry in what has been a fun and challenging experience. With this blog, I've made a decision. I will be leaving Game Informer to concentrate on writing for a new website that is starting up. I enjoy the friendships that I have made over these last five years, but it is time for me to try something new.

Okay, so I'm not really, but this might have a few people reading the preview with some concern.

I figured that I needed to throw out a joke, seeing as my 31/31 went without a blog featuring comedy (unless if you consider my trek for a new 360 to be funny, to which I say you are mean). My apologies to my friends that I may have unexpectedly shocked there.

But back to the title of this blog. Over these last 31 days, I've challenged my writing in ways that I've never done before. With the exception of my Week In News Review blogs, I entered everyday without an idea of what to write. By contrast to my normal blogs, I normally took a couple of days to research, and double check my facts before I would even think of writing. I pride myself in this, as I feel like I always have a strong position about anything I write about. So, to say that I was out of my comfort zone with this challenge would be an understatement.

Yet, even being out of my comfort zone, I still was happy with most everything I wrote. I had a couple of reviews, some industry analysis, a short story (which I felt was my weakest blog), some personal reflections, and even vented a couple of times about the curve balls life threw at me along the way. Now, with it all being said and done, I feel as if I've learned a few great lessons about myself and my ability to write.

The first lesson is that if I put my mind to it and push myself, I can write just about anything in a short amount of time. There were several days during this challenge where I was working 10+ hour days, starting at 5am, outside in 100 degree weather. When I would get off, I would have no choice but to crash for a few hours. This left me on many nights with only an hour or two to write my blog for the day, and with the exception of one evening when the site decided to lose my post, and another when I forgot to click publish, I got my blogs done and in on time. Managing this, I feel much more confident in my writing and my ability to write well in a short amount of time.

The second lesson is that the community here is great. I know what you're probably saying now, why am I just now learning this? The fact of the matter is that I knew this, but it's easy to lose sight of what something means to you, the support it provides, and how it betters you as a person. I didn't need to be taught that the Game Informer community provides these things, but I'll be damned if this last month didn't serve as a solid reminder to me. I can't thank each and every one of you that read my blogs over the past month. I hope that you enjoyed my writing as much as I have enjoyed writing for you.

The final lesson that I learned is that while it isn't always best to dwell on the past, it's also important to look back on it from time to time. With my blogs over the past month and for a blog series that I'm planning for the the coming weeks, I've had to take a look at my past experiences with gaming and how they connect with key moments in my life. I'm not the type who likes to look at the past, as there is a lot in my past that I don't like, but in examining this relationship, I was also able to remember and hold onto some of the good things that I might have forgotten otherwise. Through this I was able to realize why gaming matters to me, as gaming has a distinct link to the rest of my life and where I am today. This is the most nuanced lesson of the three, but one that I value nevertheless.

A fitting question at this point.

So, where do I go from here? The simple fact of the matter is, I'm not Saint, and I don't have a desire to do this every day of the year (Seriously brother, how the hell did you manage?). So, I'm going to take a few days off to deflate a little, do some cleaning, and play a bit more of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. At some point next week, I'll start my new blog series that I'd originally planned to be part of my 31/31 challenge. Outside of that, I'll probably lurk for a bit and enjoy what the next set of 31/31 writers have to offer.

Again, to everyone who has read my blogs over this past month, thank you. I'm unbelievably that you all could share in this experience with me.