Run!

So the history of what I've been doing and what makes this blog exist is simple and can be explained in one word - CISCO.

I started Cisco certification back in march of 2009. I obtained my CCNA on May 15th, 2009. I then went after the CCNP, which I obtained on September 2nd, 2009 just a few days short of my birthday.

So here I am it's November 2009 and right after getting my CCNP, I took 2 weeks off and then started on the CCIE RS track. For those of you who dare go after this thing, I warn you and ask that you really sit down for a moment and ask "Why?".

Why? The question is simple, the answer complex. If the first thing you said was money - then quit now and go away. You really really really (really) have to like networking and working on Cisco equipment (really enjoy it, really) to be able to seriously consider the CCIE.

CCIE for me so far has been life changing. What I mean by this is my time was already stacked against me with work, wife, friends and sleep. 85% of my free time was spent studying for the CCNA/CCNP and that same holds true for the CCIE.

The more you know the more you DON'T know, is the best way I can put studying for the CCIE. It's a mental exercise in frustration a MENTAL BEAT DOWN OF WILL that will TORMENT YOU IN EVERY MOMENT AWAKE OR NOT.

Yay, my blog won't let me un bold text so now you get to see over emphasized text. Aren't you happy?

The CCIE RS (I am sure it's the same with other tracks) is something that you cannot forget about. You can take a break but in the back of your mind you are saying "Man, I got to study, I need to learn about BGP regular expressions, I wonder how to manipulate a route this way or that way ...YEA" this will happen regardless of situation.......trust me.

You can be at a movie - you are thinking about it. You can be elsewhere behind closed doors, it shall cross your mind.

So if you still reading at this point, hey that's great. I am not going to post the ins and outs and rehash everything that has been said before you can hit many many sites that will do this. My first CCIE I read was "So you wanna be a CCIE" and then went to www.ccieguide.com I warn you this is a pretty lengthy read, but really hits a lot of good points, and it's by Scott Morris. If you don't know that name, you will soon it's a household name with CCIE's and those are are a good way through the CCIE studies. You will just happen to come across articles, responses on forums or whatever - Scott is everywhere it seems.

That's all I got for now, I was going to go off on something else, but I forgot what it was. Studying for the CCIE will do that to you.