Life is a combination of magic and pasta.

My sister was the one that told me, interestingly enough. She called me from Ohio and shocked me with the news that Alan Rickman had died. Though I was still trying to get my bearings (back is kaput for the DW folks that weren't aware), I had to fire up the PC to double check. It took a while before it appeared on the morning news and though I know David Bowie had a much larger footprint, I was hoping to see him mentioned more since he had such an effect on my life.

It's not a stretch to give him credit for changing everything for me. I connected with some fabulous ladies - and a few guys - starting on the WB boards due to his role as Snape, I started writing fanfic, did online rp and then it got even more wild. Upon one of my online buddy's prodding, I traveled to NYC and saw AR (as we know him) on Broadway and stagedoored and met him. Then after that when another online buddy was going to NYC, I returned to go with both buddies to see him again and even had him autograph smutty fanfic which I sent to miss_s_b 

THEN I was convinced by veritasema to interview for a job and since I'd actually been to NJ (and found it wasn't so scary), I went for it and moved from small hellhole city in Ohio to NJ. This is something I never would've thought I'd do. I've lived with these friends, I've visited the UK twice, met MANY of the online fellow AR/HP fans and still keep in touch with many of them. When I talked to my parents, I reminded them that if weren't for Alan Rickman, Mom probably never would've gone to the UK since I took them on the second visit.

It boggles my mind to think that yeah, Alan Rickman made my life go in a complete 180 - and in a good way. Thanks Alan