Today is my birthday.

19 years old

Today marks one year since I signed my contract at Sonacom. Yep.

Today also marks one year since I started blogging somewhere other than on Skyblog. Sick.

So much has happened over the past year — so many changes and encounters — that it’s easily been one of the most defining years for my future path.
Here’s what I’ll remember from my 18th year:

• To start with, Sonacom. One year of full-time work as a Graphic Designer (animator, editor, web designer, illustrator, blogger, slacker...) in a Paris studio — it’s definitely changed my little provincial life I had before, back in high school. One of the things I love most about Sonacom is first and foremost the people there! Ju (Nam), Pej, Setph, Luck, Pierrot, Amélie, Laure, Alexa — a little family you get to know every day, through good moods and bad ^^ Being the youngest, spending my days with people ten years older has really helped me grow up ;) And of course, my boss Dom :) Those few who read this blog and know him will confirm — he’s not really a boss like the others. In fact, I don’t really see him as a boss, and I think he’s perfectly fine with that =)
  If I add up all the hours I’ve spent at Sonacom, between work and personal projects, I average about 15 hours a day — roughly 80 hours a week. I’ve probably spent more time with Dom in one year than I did in three years of high school classes Oo

• Then came independence, whether I wanted it or not. Earning a salary, paying rent, insurance, groceries, laundry, (ironing!). That’s when you realize your mom was a superhero for having the energy to cook great meals every night! But in the end, I managed pretty well — between McDonald’s, sushi, and Red Bull... ^^

• And then there’s the internet, the blog, and all the new friends who’ve appeared — both online and in (real) life :) When I think about how I uploaded my first showreel on Dailymotion, the one that started it all, just to embed it on my former Skyblog, it still makes me smile >< Since then, my view of the web has evolved so much! Thanks to this little blog, I’ve met so many amazing people in real life — like Julien, Diese, Nico, Romain, Pej, and my dude Vincent :) Not to mention all the others I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting in person — I hope 2009 will be the year! Long live the Internet!

• And finally, now that I’m a grown-up, my mom finally allowed me to have a site with my real name → mattiasperesini.com

In the end, it’s been a year that flew by in a blur — but one full of freedom and great memories!
Can’t wait to turn 20 — it just sounds classier.