The literary adventure begins.

I am a storyteller. That's probably the first thing you should know about me. And I want you to get to know me. (well duh Nic, what are blogs for?...) But bear with me.

If you want to get to know someone, truly get to know them, then learn what they are, not just what they do. That is a subtle difference, and is often overlooked. Someone who writes isn't necessarily a writer. Someone who drinks wine may not be a connesuir. Someone who camps may not be an outdoorsman. Someone who believes in Jesus Christ may not truly be a Christian.

I don't just tell stories, I am a storyteller. I am also a journalist. I relate things in life with stories, and that is how we all relate to each other.

Where am I going with all this? I'm not entirely sure myself. All I know is that I am a writer, therefore I must write. Just as lions must hunt and oceans must swell, (and politicians must lie...the list goes on) I must do what is in my nature.

By this point you are almost ready to stop reading, wondering why I even started this blog. Someone very dear to my heart recently started their own blog, and I suppose it was motivation for me to start writing again. I seek to express my experiences, thoughts, and feelings to you in a way that you can relate to. We are all so closed up in our own worlds, too preoccupied with what we want, that we don't realize that simply looking beyond our own problems will open worlds without number to our perception. That is what this is really about, reaching out and connecting. I want to make you laugh, I want to make you smile. On occasion I may make you shed a tear. Most of all I want to make you think and feel, and to share the thoughts and feelings that have carried me the first 21 years of my life.

I want you to think about what you are, as I have mentioned. What do you do every day? Go to work, drink you coffee, perhaps read a newspaper. But separate what you DO from what you ARE. This is an identity that goes far deeper than your facebook profile description. This is such a crucial aspect of yourself that we can't afford to overlook it. As for me, sometimes that's easy. I'm a writer, I'm a swimmer. I'm an aspiring political scientist. But sometimes it isn't easy...am I a pragmatist, am I a Christian, am I fulfilling my full potential...The answers that seem unattainable are almost always the most valuable to seek.

I hope you join me on this journey, to who knows where. But if no eyes but my own ever read this text, it isn't lost. The writing is as much for the writer himself as it is for the readers.

I'll leave you now with the questions I've raised. Dwell on them for a time. I welcome any comments you may have. This is about people connecting, this is about sharing life's rich experiences. I'm an adventurer in life, I'm a friend.

I am a storyteller.