In the current Mainstage show at Second City, the term “fait accompli” is a motif strung throughout the two-act revue. In the very first scene, one of the characters explains, “It means: fate accomplished.” Although I hear it all the time, it struck a chord with me today as I reached my one year anniversary of being in Chicago.

That’s right, it was exactly one year ago today that this scrawny, wide-eyed young man boarded a plane with two pieces of luggage, a one-way ticket and a dream. It’s crazy to think that an entire year has gone by already but, alas, here we are. The whole thing still seems unreal…the way it all went down. I find myself retelling the story a lot up here when people ask, “So, what’s your deal?” (note: no one actually asks that, at least not in that way)

I always had aspirations to move far away from home…not necessarily to get away from anything. I mean, I miss my friends and, more so, my family terribly. But I always felt like it was something that had to happen at some point. Something that was supposed to happen. I remember looking into going to college out in California or New York. Though those opportunities presented themselves, they just didn’t seem like something that was in the cards for me (insurmountable financial issues aside). Then, as graduation reared its head four years later, I again couldn’t find myself in the position to make the giant leap.

I worked a regular job (two, to be exact) back home for almost two years and though I was doing improv on the side, something wasn’t right. And, more importantly, something had to change. I can’t explain it…but I could just feel it. Lo and behold, a random perusal of The Second City’s website one day in search of tickets to their traveling “50th Anniversary Show,” which was on its way to my neck of the woods, led me to their Puma scholarship and the rest is history.

And it’s those exact words, “the rest is history,” that have me sitting here one year later thinking…I guess this is what was meant to be? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know if I’m a true believer in that either. But, hey, it makes you wonder. I had my mom send up some old pictures recently to put up in my room. Among them was the one below: my first T-ball game. Take a look. Not only was my first team the Chicago Cubs but check out those rubber spikes. Yep…Pumas. *head explodes*

So here I am, somewhere near twenty years removed from that photo and only one year from the big move. I was hired by Second City as a performer a few months in, just got another paid performance gig with them, I get to teach improv to teens, I continue to soak in all the great talent/shows this city has to offer, I’ve met so many wonderful people that I’m happy to call my friends, and, to sum it all up, I’m doing what I love.

I’m not saying that this was all easy, that I sat back and all these good things just happened. Yes, I have tons of people to thank that have impacted me all throughout my life and people that continue to do that to this day. Still, I worked really hard to get here. Now, by no means am I stopping to say, “Hey, mission accomplished, Eddie!” Truth is, there is still so much left to do and moving here was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. But maybe I can at least say that fate/destiny/whatever you want to call it (if there is such a thing) has been course corrected for me and I’m on the right path.

If that’s the case then, hey, fate accompli.