My LEGO Journey
Hi there, and thank you for visiting my website. It means so much to me that you took the time to look around here, and even so for tapping that About button and knowing how The Brick Player started out.
Perhaps you’re thinking about what this new LEGO-centric website is all about and what it has to offer. Yeah, I know, there are already plenty of LEGO fan sites out there that cater to all sorts of LEGO themes, content, and news. So why bother with another one? Well, I guess to find the answer to that, I need to go back in time to give you a glimpse of what things were like from where I came from, and how the humble LEGO brick played its part during my growing years.
Typically when we talk as AFOLs (or Adult Fans of LEGO), one of the most common questions that we ask one another is how we started with the LEGO hobby. While others have quite vivid memories of how they began their LEGO journey and how they progressed since then, mine is a bit like a roller coaster ride.
Because you see, having a LEGO set where I grew up is already considered a luxury. And being as young as I was back then, the steep cost of owning a LEGO set has never dawned on me. All I can remember was the great times that I and my older brother had when we realized that we can virtually build anything using those brightly colored brick plastics.
First LEGO Set
As an AFOL, or Adult Fan of LEGO, one of the most common questions we ask each other is how we started with the LEGO hobby. For me, it was a bit like a roller coaster ride. Growing up, owning a LEGO set was already considered a luxury, and being as young as I was, the steep cost of owning one never really dawned on me. All I remember was the sheer joy my older brother and I had building anything we could imagine using those brightly colored bricks.
My first LEGO set was introduced to me when I was around 4 to 5 years old. Although I hardly remember the set’s elements and pieces, I do recall that it was a LEGO City set from the early 80s with a huge green baseplate to place several builds. Technically, it was not mine to begin with, since it was initially a birthday gift to my older brother. However, as close as we were, I had the privilege of playing with his LEGO set too. I’m still on the hunt over at Brickset to track down the name of this elusive set.
A Very Long Dark Age
Unfortunately, our family was not well off, and we never really had a place to call our own. We moved a lot when I was young, and with all the moving around, our lone LEGO set diminished to a pile of loose bricks with plenty of parts missing or broken. I am partly to blame, as I had fun creating sturdy spaceships and pit them against each other, much like creating brick-built bumper cars. In a matter of seconds, there would be flying LEGO pieces all around, much to my mom’s dismay at that time because of the noise and clutter it created. Then, when I was in the 3rd grade, I did the unthinkable: I traded all of my remaining LEGO bricks from that lone set for a G1 Insecticon Transformer action figure! Oh, the horror of it when my mom discovered what I did. I guess that marks the beginning of our Dark Age, a long hiatus from enjoying LEGO. It was only when I became a professional teacher that my love for the LEGO brick was gradually renewed.
Old Bricks Die Hard
As a young professional several years ago, I was fortunate to be part of a school that invested in robotics. We had several LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits during that time and managed to enter various competitions and even made it to the World Robotics Olympiad or WRO back in 2010. This was the time when my interest in LEGO was rekindled, and I found myself wanting to be updated on the most recent trends in LEGO. Though my focus was primarily on the use of LEGO Mindstorms, I felt myself going back to my younger years when I was simply in love and enamored with these little plastic bricks.
All Road Leads to The Brick Show
In 2016, I had to transfer to another school, which was both bitter-sweet and exciting for me. At that time, I was already dabbling in a couple of blogs, one about classic cars and another about various movies that piqued my interest. It was through these side projects that Jason stumbled upon my writing and invited me to contribute to their blog, The Brick Show. I couldn’t believe my luck! Through Brick Show, I discovered that the LEGO community is a vast and diverse group of people who share the same love and passion for this amazing toy. I was amazed at how much there was to learn about LEGO, from the latest sets to the history of this iconic brand. But as I wrote more and more for Brick Show, I began to feel the desire to start my own LEGO blog, one where I could share my own experiences and insights as a lifelong fan of LEGO. And so, The Brick Player was born.
And Now, Here We Are!
Starting The Brick Player is a long time coming. I dreamt of having my own website where I can share my thoughts on the latest news about LEGO and on the LEGO hobby in general. My goal with this blog is to create a space where I can share my love for LEGO with fellow enthusiasts, as well as introduce new fans to the joy of building with LEGO. I plan to cover a wide range of topics, from reviews of the latest LEGO sets to tips and tricks for building your own creations. I also hope to share stories from my own LEGO journey, as well as highlight the amazing work being done by other LEGO builders and creators around the world.
I want The Brick Player to be a place where we can all come together to celebrate this wonderful hobby and share our passion for all things LEGO. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering the joy of building with LEGO, I hope you’ll join me on this journey.
Thank you for taking the time to visit my site, and I hope you’ll come back often to see what’s new on The Brick Player.