Hello all!

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Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 14
Location: Somewhere in New England...and Toledo, Ohio when not...

03 Apr 2006, 12:30 am

I'd like to introduce myself...

I'm a 19-year-old student at Dartmouth College in New Hamphire, though I hail from Ohio. I'm probably going to major in neuroscience, and hope to conduct research in the area of Asperger's and autism, though that may be down the road a bit, given I have no prior research experience I'm also an aspiring pre-med. My winter term was somewhat worse than I expected, though I think this was more a result of my tendency to procrastinate (quite common at this school) than any aspie characteristics. I'm also blessed with a roommate who--though a NT--is socially awkward to a degree, and friendly and laid-back enough that we get along great.

I first learned of my Asperger's when I was diagnosed in about first grade, though I knew I was "different" probably the day I entered kindergarten. It was a long and painful struggle to reach the point I'm at today, though I treasure many of my experiences upon this path. Things definitely improved once I hit high school, though my struggles are still far from over. The dating scene has been somewhat less than desirable, and I still feel uncomfortable around large groups of people, though I've found a great community of fellow nerds at a coed, "nonalcoholic" frat (anyone familiar with Dartmouth probably knows the one).

Who am I as a person? Well, as I've mentioned, I tend to procrastinate, may seem antisocial around those I'm not comfortable with, and have an overwhelming love of the outdoors and mountains (which is why Ohio is less than desirable for me). My dad, from whom I probably received my Asperger's, is extremely religious, and even though I've somewhat become jaded with actively participating in religion, I've retained many of the morals I learned from it. I fall right of center politically; I was once a die-hard conservative, but college and the Bush administration have changed that.

And, of course, my interests: Rubik's cubes (I can average around 30 seconds on a good cube if in practice), hiking, pursuing peak lists such as state and county highpoints and NE 4000'ers, www.wheresgeorge.com, playing the F horn (and several other instruments), maps, random trivia, and reading as a pasttime (both fiction and nonfiction, though the whole "pasttime" thing is pretty much nonexistent in college). I used to be a math nerd, but my first college course robbed me of much of the enjoyment I derived from math (no pun intended).

Anyway, this seems like a great community, and I hope to get to know many of you better! Feel free to ask any questions, give comments, etc., and sorry for the mini-novel!

~theHappyHiker

P.S. sorry for the URL, it's necessary to explain the hobby, and I didn't intend for it to become a link :oops: