Laura is a weekly Another71 Facebook blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam.

Okay, so I’ve been a bit MIA and I’ve felt so bad because I know that I wanted to write these blog postings to keep me motivated as well as others like me.

I should have known better…I have a hard time as it is studying, working, running my son around, and trying to maintain some resemblance to a sane person during the testing windows. I literally started writing several blogs and then never finished them.

So while I’ve been MIA I took BEC November 13 as planned. I had big ugly tears the day of the exam….I was doing last minute multiple choice and I just started crying. All I could think was that this attempt is the catalyst to getting my life back into normalcy.

If I passed the exam this time I would no longer be telling my niece, “Sorry Aunt Laura hasn’t passed the exam and I won’t be seeing you until after I pass it.” I wouldn’t have to hear the disappointment in her voice as she said, “Oh, okay…I really miss you, but you will get it next time Aunt Laura.”

Her faith in me lifted me up this last time while studying. I could hear her little voice telling me that I would get it this time and it helped me push to get an extra 15 minutes of study time at 1 A.M. when I was so tired I could barely keep my head from falling forward on to my laptop.

During this last dance with devil, also known as taking BEC, my husband officially became a CPA in the great state of Texas. He called me so excited the day he checked the Texas board website and it showed his name under the license look up.

I started crying, I don’t think he knew I started to cry when he called me but I did. I was/am so proud of what he has accomplished. I also couldn’t help but think when I got off the phone with him that I couldn’t wait until the day I called him to tell him my license number.

I also just have to say that everyone on the forum inspires me so much during this sick twisted journey to becoming a CPA. Each of us has our own battles to fight personally and professionally to get this journey over with and it helps me to know that I’m not alone out there getting through this exam.

I lurk a lot during the testing windows when I’m studying and don’t supply much input. The biggest help for me this last testing window was the Eric Thomas speech Jeff posted. It really stuck with me. I wrote down the quote from the speech that follows: “The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.”

I want this as much as I want to breathe….do you?