EPT
It's really great being home; it was weird the first couple of weeks because I live in a rather rural town, which is much quieter than the city of Bucharest. The hardest part though, has been getting back into a routine. I didn't have too much of a problem with a good routine while I was in Romania because I had Andrei, our manager, pushing Sleepy and I to keep practicing and playing in tournaments. But since I've been back i'm pretty much relying on my own self discipline to go to bed at a good time, get up, get some exercise, make healthy food choices, and put in the 8-10 hours of practice that I so desperately need to keep improving. It didn't go so well the first two months after I returned; I feel like I put in maybe 4 hours a day, some days less, and I fell into a bit of a slump. My distractions come in many forms. Mostly it's just socializing with my friends and family - i'm trying to find a good balance for that, but it seems like there is always something going on. A camping trip, a bonfire, a BBQ.
Now that I've been in a gaming house, I understand what a huge advantage it was. Not only did I have less responsibility, but I had a lot less to distract me and that made me improve very quickly. Being home with my family is nice but I've come to realize that if I want to be successful as a pro gamer, it's going to take a lot of sacrifice. That's why I've decided that i'm going all in. In December i'll be leaving for Korea to stay in the gom house. I'll be practicing 8-10 hours a day there and trying to qualify for Code A. I'm praying that I can improve enough to qualify and find a team to practice with in the first 3 months, but if I can't, I may end up moving back to Romania to live with some of NrS. (Which is just fishlips at the moment)
NrS is doing well - We are still trying hard to find other sponsors, but as a team we are all improving a lot. ReSpOnSe will be attending MLG Orlando, and hopefully I will be accompanying him
SleEpy has recently moved out of his parents place and is going to college while looking for a job - hes not giving up on starcraft though and has been putting in a few hours of practice every day.
It's always been my dream to be a pro gamer. I'm 21 now, and I remember when I was 15 I had the dream of going to Korea and playing on a pro house for BW. That never happened, but here I am today and I have the opportunity to go to Korea and give it a shot, so I am truly excited.
I just want to take these last few sentences to encourage pro gamers and aspiring pro gamers alike. If it's your dream to be a successful pro gamer then don't give up. It takes time and yes there are times that you are going to feel like quitting, but if you do your best to maintain a good attitude and keep fighting you can achieve any thing.
That being said - i've got a long ways to go, so I need to get back to practicing. I've just recently upgraded my PC, so i'll be streaming a lot, mostly on the KR server
Come watch @ www.twitch.tv/ranged777
And if you want, add me on twitter @ ranged777
NrS Fighting~
