Unfortunately, D&D doesn't stand for something less nerdy than Dungeons and Dragons in this post, as much as I wish it did. Guys, you don't know how much it pains me to admit this, but I thought it was time I share how I've reached a new level of dork recently.
Here's what happened. Peter and I met another couple earlier this year, and the four of us really hit it off, especially the other girl and myself. She and I became instant friends and hung out a few times during the summer, hoping that one day we could get together for a double date with our significant others. Different options were discussed, but we ultimately decided that our first double date would be to play D&D, with Peter as game master.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with D&D (as I was, until I met Peter and watched Stranger Things), it's a role-playing game where one person serves as a game master and essentially creates a fantastical story line in which the other players, who each create a character that exists within the world the GM has created, participate. It's kind of like a "What If" game, where the GM has to create different paths that the story can take, based on the decisions and actions taken by the characters. Now, when I was first introduced to D&D, I played with a friend of Peter's who liked to be in character the whole time. I'll admit, it intimidated me a bit because I'd never done any sort of role-playing or improv before. It was an okay game, but I didn't like it after that first time. I really enjoyed pretending to be an elf that fought monsters, but I didn't like the idea of talking a certain way or acting completely differently than my normal self. That was too far outside of my comfort zone, again because of my inexperience.
When we had this couple over for our first game, I'm not sure what I expected. I know I was hoping it'd be better, but I don't think I expected to have as much fun as I did! I really mean that too. They were really relaxed about the game, which helped a lot, but we also went in and out of the game while sitting at the table together, so it felt more like playing a board game in the way that the game has our attention, but it doesn't stop us from socializing with each other. Our game also involved a lot of yummy snacks that they had brought, especially the cheese! Last weekend, we had them over for a second session, and it was just as fun, if not more fun, since we've gotten to know them better.
Though it still makes me cringe to admit I'm a huge dork, I appreciate that aspect of myself now more than ever. In high school and at the beginning of college, I never admitted how much I loved Star Wars or referenced all of the Disney quotes I know by heart (except within my Disney a cappella group, obviously), especially in front of guys, because I thought these things made me too much of a dork, and I was afraid guys wouldn't like that about me (ridiculous, I know, considering how many guys like Star Wars...). Now, thanks to this couple that we love dearly, I've come to embrace my inner dork, and I'll admit, I never would've met Peter otherwise. ; )
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