It occurred to me, just now, how funny life is. I actually haven’t fully formed this thought (or series of events) in my head yet, but I know where it is going, so I thought I would just start writing.

In 2004, I was in a weird spot in my life. I had just gone through a series of rapid changes. I finished my 2 year degree at BMCC, broke ties with a girlfriend, lost my childhood pet and moved out on my own. I was working as a marketing assistant at the Tribeca Performing Arts center and to say I was feeling a bit of depression would probably be a fair statement. So there I was, sleeping in a bedroom full of unpacked boxes, with my computer on the floor. I’d come home from work, and just veg out – really not sure what was next. It was around this time (before the ties severed with the aforementioned girlfriend) that she told me I could watch Sifl & Olly on Winamp. I discovered Winamp streamed many television shows/channels and came across TechTV Canada. I realized I hadn’t tuned into TechTV much (plus it was taken off of Time Warner for a while). I decided to give it a try. The streamer had a playlist of Call for Help with Leo LaPorte (a show that no longer broadcasted in the US when TechTV finally returned to Time Warner). I was hooked. The show was so informative and helpful when it came to technology. I grew more and more curious. It wasn’t just computers, it was cell phones, audio/video, mp3 players, you name it!

I became a pretty avid hobbyist. I built several computers for my friends and myself, and figured out various ways to hack and integrate multiple instruments together. I wanted to be around this stuff more. I applied to and got a job at J&R Music and Computer World. In addition, I began taking A+ Certification classes and after getting certified, took a while, but ended up getting a job working at Doshi Diagnostic. Although, this endeavor did not work out according to plan, I ended up collecting unemployment and suddenly found myself with a good deal of free time. Because of the wild unemployment in the country, the government kept extending the deadline, and I decided to take a chance and go back to school to complete my 4 year degree. So now, about 7 years down the road from tuning into Winamp TV, I’m about a semester and a half away from obtaining a degree in Media Studies from Hunter College – having made some short movies now and being a DJ at the school’s radio station. It’s crazy to me – having to wonder, which link in the chain of events, if not all of them, was/were the most influential. At the risk of sounding extremely sappy, I feel like I owe a TON of inspiration credit to Leo LaPorte. Sometimes that journey of 1000 miles that they always tell you starts with a first step is actually a journey you started and didn’t even realize.