Hello!
I'm Johann of Erie, and I categorically suck at introductions. I'm in my late twenties and am finally figuring out my life.
I diagnosed myself in preschool when the teacher asked us what we wanted to be: I said "college teacher" and learned the word 'professor' that day. Most people called me "little professor" after that for quite some time. Years later, I was amused to learn how Hans Asperger described his patients as little professors. My clinical diagnosis came at age seven, though I didn't find out until years later when my aunt confirmed it for me.
Incidentally, I didn't become a professor (though that's my backup plan if the current plan fails). Systems are my life. Technically, I've known what I am and what I want to do since I could form conscious thoughts, but finding the exact words, path, and destination happened entirely by accident. Or through a recursive series of highly nuanced self-selecting experiences converging into the only logical conclusion, depending on your level of caring about how such realizations happen. Now I'm training to be an intelligence analyst. Despite the stress and chaos, I squeal in glee on a daily basis. This is the first time in my entire life I am truly happy to be alive. I suppose preschool-me equated an obsession with describing systems to others with teaching. That's sort of what an analyst does, at least when others care to listen.
I'm also studying psychology, another lifelong interest, and it's definitely helpful with understanding nonhuman systems too since humans often create and interact with them.
I'm an ardent puzzler, linguaphile, read voraciously, dabble in the fine arts, adore roleplay of any kind, and a am a bit of a history geek (especially WWII-era Germany). I'm also an experienced Italian cook passionate about good wine. Coffee, too! My current coffee is aged Sumatra from a press.
My current non-school projects are mastering German, improving as a painter, and trying to tame the gods-awful mess masquerading as a house. My two roommates really are not helping with the last one! I am a neatfreak living among self-confessed, albeit apologetic, slobs. We have six cats between us. They aren't helping, either, but they're adorable. Roommates and cats alike are often targets of my muttering, "Alive because adorable..." The nine of us share a beautiful 1920s house with many of its original features in varying states of upkeep.
One thing I prefer to get out of the way early in a new place is that I'm transgender, female to male. I present physically male with a masculine-leaning affect, but I don't want hormones since I'm not willing to take the associated risks and have no way of knowing if I'd like the changes. Weirdly, I feel more feminine as a guy than I ever did trying to be a woman. Had I been born male, I'd be flamboyantly gay. As it is, I prefer guys but given my attraction to minds above all else sometimes find myself with ladies too. I'm poly and have taken to describing myself as pansexual. Bodies just don't matter to me, probably because I've spent so much time fretting over my own; and people are too unique and fascinating to limit myself to only one at a time held close.
I've been lurking around here for a long time, but finally got the courage to post. I say a lot when I'm nervous, apparently!
Nice to meet you all.
Johann
24 Sep 2015, 2:22 pm
For someone who says he sucks at introductions, you've done an excellent job at telling us about yourself. I'm sure you'll find many kindred spirits here and enjoy yourself. 
So if you'd like to chat more at any stage, feel free to send me a pm. 
