“We drove over an hour through bridge-tunnel traffic to get there!”
Coming Full Circle: Rediscovering the Joy of Play
My name is Dan. I was born in the ’80s and raised in the ’90s — a time when childhood felt a little more analog and imagination did most of the heavy lifting. I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons when I was about twelve years old, around 1993. It wasn’t exactly popular then, at least not in the circles I ran in, but I had one close friend who was a devoted adventurer. One summer, I was invited to his family cabin in northern Arizona. We spent our days riding dirt bikes and quads, soaking up the freedom that only summer break can bring. One evening, he decided to introduce me to D&D.
I was immediately intrigued.
We played that night, and I was hooked. For the rest of the summer, we played every single day. It was creative, immersive, and endlessly fun. And then, just as quickly as it had begun, that chapter ended.
Life Moves On
That summer marked both my introduction to D&D and, for a long time, my last experience with it.
As life tends to do, it moved on. My friend and I grew apart, and I gravitated toward sports and a different social crowd, one focused on athletics, girls, and popularity. D&D faded completely from my mind.
Another ten years passed, and I found myself in college at Arizona State University, surrounded by a culture centered on sports and partying. Still, D&D never crossed my mind. Eventually adulthood took over fully: building a career in sales, starting a family, and focusing on responsibility over recreation.
March 2025
Then came March of 2025.
We discovered a LARPing organization called Legend in Hampton, Virginia. At the time, my son was 13, and I wanted him to have something active and exciting that he could truly enjoy. I brought him to an event to check it out, signed him up, and sat on the sidelines watching as he ran off and had the time of his life.
We returned for the next event, and that’s when he convinced me to join in.
I’ll be honest — I probably made a fool of myself. But I didn’t care. I was hooked. The world of Legend had sunk its claws into me. What struck me most was how welcoming the organization was — not just to me, but especially to my son. They treated him as one of their own. I quickly realized how rare and special that is.
Over the past year, I’ve made close friends within the organization and become deeply involved in the club. It’s been an unexpected and deeply rewarding part of my life.
January 2026
Fast forward again to January of 2026.
My friend Tim invited me to join a D&D campaign with him, my son, and a small group of others. Building my character was… humbling. I felt completely lost. I spent an entire evening messaging Tim back and forth, trying to wrap my head around it all. It was intimidating — and I don’t intimidate easily — but Tim was patient and generous with his time, guiding me through the process.
February 2026 to Forever
On the evening of February 13, 2026, we played our first session.
I had more fun than I ever imagined possible.
It was engaging, exciting, and endlessly entertaining. We laughed, we yelled, and we took more than a few unexpected left turns. On the long drive back to Virginia Beach, my mind raced with thoughts of what would happen next — how my character, Makoa Kai’ele, would react, what choices he would make, and where the story might lead.
To say I’m hooked again would be a massive understatement.
All of this is to say: you never really know what life will bring. Stay open to new experiences — and to rediscovering old ones. Don’t let a perceived “image” of who you’re supposed to be trap you.
Do the things that make you happy.
Sometimes I wish I had spent the last thirty years playing D&D and LARPing. I wish I’d been a little less “jock” and a little more “nerd.”
But maybe the timing is part of the magic.
Deep into it!
“Always do the things that bring you joy.“
Dan Ruley
Guest Writer
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