I’m still exhausted from moving this weekend—my wife and I just handled the last few tasks to empty the old apartment. It’s not quite home yet, but there’s no more hauling loads at least.

It occurs to me that more than a few of you may be reading this without knowing who I am. So, today I’m sharing 17 facts about myself for my 17th blog.

Let’s get acquainted!

1. My name is Rhoadey, but my friends usually call me David.#17: 17 Facts About the Writer
2. My legal name is James, but I liked David better.
3. I studied English literature at UCLA, where I did my best to attend every class despite commuting in 2 wildly unreliable cars.
4. In 2016, I successfully hiked Mt. Whitney after having to spend the night in an uncomfortable/exposed spot only half a mile from the top.
5. For about 7 years, I apprenticed and studied to be an illustrator—but eventually found my way into marketing.
6. When I was 5 years old, I stayed in the Philippines for 3 months with my mom’s family—no parents!
7. When I was 16, I got really into collecting conches and shofars. I still have one of them in storage.
8. My favorite book at 7 years old was a children’s biography of Archimedes, the famous Greek mathematician.
9. My most embarrassing moment was when I was backpacking through the Sequoias and went to poop (unknowingly) right next to a side trail. A couple made eye contact with me in mid-relief. I’ve never wanted to be dead so badly.
10. When I graduated from UCLA, I was one absence away from graduating cum laude. I’m still upset at myself for it.
11. Despite being able to talk about myself at length, I’m having a hard time finding 17 things to say about myself.
12. When I was 9, I started a club for people who wanted to draw comics and opened the first meeting by demanding that every kid in attendance give up on their old dreams immediately.
13. In third grade, I spent my lunches reading book adaptations of the old Universal monster movies. The Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.) was my fave. I didn’t really make friends til fourth grade.
14. I’ve been in two fights—both in sixth grade. There wasn’t really a ‘winner,’ but both guys approached me years later and said they remember how hard I hit. So, there’s that.
15. I accidentally followed Bill Hader into a bathroom and was so mortified that I left the bathroom—confirming that I did indeed follow him in.
16. The only time I ever name-dropped to impress my friends, it was to see the Marvel panel in Hall H at Comic-Con. I peaked early.
17. I became a Christian in 2004, and I think I’ve been “becoming” one since then.

Man, that was way harder than I expected.