A Little About Me

Who is Sizzle?

Well, first let me say that Sizzle is not my real name nor do I intend to encourage anyone to think that. It's just a fun nickname dating back a few years that people actually use to refer to me. It started out because I needed to come up with a screenname for forum I was joining that would both keep me slightly anonymous and limit the link to my then employer (same enterprise as the pastime to which the forum was (and is still) linked and dedicated). Then, a few friends started referring to me as that both in person and when calling the store. People assumed it was somewhat of an earned nickname that I had had for some time, and it stuck. Soon, since everyone from friends to coworkers to customers were using it, I adopted it and made it my own, but I will always see it as a joke, and everyone should too. In the end, I am Sizzle!

Now, let me throw down some words about myself (you may notice I jump from professional to jokingly non-professional, and it has no pattern or reason other than my mood)...

Well, though, at this point, I intend to keep this somewhat anonymous (tough word, because a lot of the people I intend to read this will know who I am, and I want them to), I'll still tell you a little about me. I'm a 22-year-old, Caucasian (I know, fancy word for "white and I show very little interest in my cultural background") with varying interests who has lived in more places than a lot of people his age, but that doesn't mean I think I am a traveler in any way or that I have seen it all. I've just seen a little more than most people with whom I associate.

So, let me tell you a little about "my journey", if you will. I was born in San Francisco, CA and lived there for the first five years of my life. Though I don't remember too many specifics, growing up in a hotel in a major city is fun in and of itself, but if you add a bilingual household (French is my father's native tongue and English is my mother's) with two awesomely loving parents (I love my parents in case you can't tell because I am able to understand how they both choose to show it, and loving my parents is definitely not something of which I am ashamed) and two amazing brothers (one older by a little over two years and one younger by just about the same amount). Well, you can probably already tell that I'm very fond of my family.

Anyways, after that, we packed up and moved to Paris (France, not Paris, TX, Perris, CA or some other variation on Paris that eludes me at the moment) and lived there for the next four years of my life (and returned many summer months). Now, that was incredible too. We lived in an apartment that belonged to my grandmother in a building whose age was definitely in the triple digits (that's hundreds) that has been kept mostly in the family (dad's family), and that was a close-knit community too. We had some cousins above us, some other cousins across the hall, some friends directly below, and some great aunts on the ground floor. If that wasn't enough, we had some more cousins in the next building over.

After that, we packed it all up again and moved to Dallas, TX (Highland Park to be specific) and lived there for the next four years. Once again, we were near family. My only remaining grandmother (mom's side) lived just five minutes away with my uncle (mom's brother) living in Austin (just three and a half hours away) and some extended family in between and all around (those last five words had a melodic rhythm in my head). That was an amazing four years where I made some great friends, had some amazing experiences and learned more life lessons than I can count (sometimes, not in the best way).

We then threw it all in a truck again and moved to San Jose, CA (seems somewhat like "coming full circle" (excuse me if I misquote)) and lived there for about five years. Those were great years, my high school years. It was an exciting and upward-looking period in my life, and I don't regret a minute of it. I don't think I ever could since my family seems to have taken permanent residence there (dad just retired this year). That doesn't mean I felt locked down there.

So, on that note, I threw more stuff than I would expect to need and moved to Davis, CA (near Sacramento) for the next couple years (for school of course). Those were really exciting times, and I think a lot of that has to do with spending a large portion of that time both living in and involved in the activities of a fraternity. I don't think I could ever forget that either, no matter how unreasonable the amount of alcohol consumed.

Then, I moved back home to San Jose, CA for another couple years. I spent those years trying to do my best to stay somewhat involved in education (down to a community college for a little coursework), but I also held more than just a full-time job. Though I started working at a shooting range on weekends for a few months, I eventually what I consider my only real job to date at a retail store near the airport. That was an awesome job, and it ties back to that awesome pastime I mentioned in the early part of this post. Finally getting a job (somewhere between 45 to 50 hours a week) in a store I used to frequent felt like a godsend. I did my best there, and I think it showed, but after a couple years and lack of upward mobility, I felt it was time to move on.

Basically, I quit my job and moved to Moreno Valley, CA (near Riverside). I'm living with a friend who recommended the place, and I'm focusing on finishing my education so I can finally get out in the world with actual career-type employment (and, of course, quickly decimate any savings I might have).

Let me check my math really quickly... 5+4+4+5+2+2=22 years... that sounds about right.

Man, that feels like a lot to say, and I barely covered the basics, but that gives a rough idea of who I am and where I have been. Maybe, in time, I will delve into a further exploration of my life and identity.