First post.

Ah... I'm here, at 11:19 PM. My apartment's quiet except for the slight drone from the A/C, the TV playing Sci-fi, and the quiet, staccato click of my laptop keys. Rachel and I finished chatting a few minutes ago, she's my inspiration for starting this blog. I stopped writing a few years ago after my writing took a distinctly darker turn; however, now that I'm feeling a little better, I'm thinking writing couldn't hurt. Rachel's urgings definitely spurred me on.

Now, first things first: I'm my own person, and I don't change for anyone. I'm 18, male, living in an apartment with three 20-year-old guys. We all attend DeVry University in the ECT program. I hope to one day either head the IT department of a major corporation, or start my own computer repair business.

My interests are simple: I love music, video games, and airsoft. Any military simulation sport will do, but airsoft is my favorite. As far as video games go, I play pretty much exclusively on Xbox 360. I like Call of Duty 4, Halo 3, Guitar Hero 3, and either Rock Band. I play music games on Expert, because I'm that hardcore. :P Ranked up to 43 in COD4 tonight, and I'm currently about to rank up to Captain in Halo 3. I'm very competitive, but I hold no grudges. Games are games. Real life is where it counts. Music is my life. I listen to a lot of harder stuff, but only because I need a deep, powerful beat. My favorites are As I Lay Dying, Avenged Sevenfold, Chiodos, Bullet for my Valentine and Disturbed. Listening to music is all good, but I like to perform as well. I play drums first and foremost. First chair percussion in high school, I'll play any percussion instrument and do my best, pouring my heart and soul into my performance. Outside of symphonic performances, I tend to play along to a lot of metal and hard rock music, just for the rush. I also sing once in a while, but only if I'm feeling up to it! I'm just above a tenor, in choral terms. If you need a reference, Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows is in my comfort zone. Chiodos' Craig Owens is a stretch, but I can handle it.

I came from a tiny little town called Wallaceton, here in the great old state of PA. It's not much of a place, no action at all, but it was a nice place to grow up. I had plenty of time to learn what morals and values I could, and violence and crimes were rare if any at all. I don't miss living there, but I definitely appreciate what I learned and experienced.

Since I've moved in to the apartments here at DeVry, I haven't really done much relevant to my course yet, however I'm certainly enjoying my stay. So far, I've taken Psychology and Critical Thinking, and both focus on the process of learning, so that we can adapt to learn more efficiently in our classes. I've had two days of psychology for three hours each, and one day of critical thinking for four hours, for about six weeks now, and we're drawing to a close on them. Soon we'll be taking finals, and then I'll be moving in to my electronics labs. That'll be five classes over four days, so at least I won't be bored senseless on Tuesdays anymore...

That covers the external qualities, the things I love to do and the things I'm required to do, as well as my past, present and future. How about I dig a little deeper, and show you a side not many have ever seen?

On the outside, I have been referred to as stubborn, passionate, hard-headed and strong-willed. These qualities, in my eyes, are positive, however some may consider them otherwise. My opinion differs rather drastically. I am chivalrous, strong, calm and loving. I am passionate, curious, loyal and honest. I am a little selfish, but very generous. I have a big heart, and a lot of love to give, if only I could find someone worth giving it to. I am very modest, almost too much so, but I am also extremely confident in situations that I am comfortable in. I fall fast for the right person, but I'll keep loving for as long as she will have me, and then some. With a little encouragement, I am adventurous, always up for something new and ready to try just about anything once. Twice if I like it ;D I'm not always the happiest person in the world, but I'm realistic. I can't always be happy, but I always live in the moment. I'm romantic, extremely so, but I'm also very spontaneous. I'm the kind of guy that will happily bring my lady roses and chocolate, but I'll also do just about anything that comes to mind to make it a special day, just because I can. Above all, I absolutely despise seeing a woman treated badly. I go out of my way to ensure the lady in my life feels special, loved, and important. Take a hint here, guys, nothing is more beautiful than seeing a big, sincere smile bloom on her face because of something you did for her.

So, there you have it... a very basic look into who I am. I am a complex of differing similarities, and a paradox all my own. I am both simpler and far more complicated than I imply here, and it's up to you to interpret which is which.