It seemed like nothing more than a Sunday morning hobby for my parents, though they made sure that I completed my confirmation classes. After high school, I pretty much forgot about religion altogether, aside from a random street preacher here and there. I got interested in other religions of the world as soon as I found out about them, and that's when it hit me that Christianity might be wrong. I mean, I was already pretty certain that there was no great flood, there was no Genesis, etc. But I still vaguely believed in God until I studied the other religions, and I found myself asking which one was right. Eventually, I got into paganism, but I just couldn't fully get into their claims about magic and stuff, but dancing around a fire is still lots of fun. Plus most pagans are into lots of medieval stuff, and that appealed to an avid Dungeons & Dragons player like myself. Yes, I still play here and there. I like games of all sorts, really. Role-playing, board games, card games, but not so much into drinking games. I'm also a guitarist in a local Scottish band. We play traditional jigs, reels, and strathspeys, and sometimes make appearances at the local renaissance fairs. I'm also that guy who plays folk songs by the campfire. Politically speaking, I lean pretty far to the left (according to the standards of the USA, which means I'm still very conservative when compared to lots of other countries). I can get fairly heated when discussing politics. I'm completely dumbfounded that there are people in this country that honestly like and support Donald Trump. That just blows my mind. I've been getting more active and more vocal about my values lately, participating in various marches (women's marches, Pride parades, and there was even a march for science last year). Another hobby of mine is home-brewing. I used to make lots of beer, but nowadays I mostly make mead. It's easier to make, and I enjoy the flavor a whole lot more. Alcohol is my only remaining vice these days. I quit smoking at the turn of the century. I experimented with a few drugs in the 90s, which was fun in its own way, but I could never imagine making a regular habit out of any drugs. I don't think they're evil or morally wrong, and I think that marijuana should be legalized everywhere. But when it's offered to me, I politely decline. I also cut caffeine out of my life roughly the same time I quit smoking, and that was definitely the hardest thing to give up. It was seriously messing with my health, so I didn't have much choice in the matter. I had huge coffee cravings for such a long time though. I'd go to the grocery store and just stand in the coffee aisle and take deep breaths, and at work I would walk by the coffee machine just to savor the aroma. These days, my diet is generally healthy, but it's not something I'm necessarily passionate about. I'll still eat fast food now and then, but for the most part I enjoy spending lots of time in the kitchen, baking my own bread, making lots of meals from scratch. I find it rather satisfying, and the food is generally healthier and tastier than what I find in most restaurants. My skills are still quite limited though, and I love to go out for some good Indian or Thai food. Ok, so I think I've rambled on for a good while now, and congrats to you if you actually read this whole thing. I don't think I left out anything important. Oh, I'm a Leo with a Pisces moon, if you needed to know that as well.