Yes, I know Fortnite has been around for a hot-minute now, but I don't care. I tried getting into it two years ago, but I wasn't a fan. Games where I'm required to shoot my opponent have always been a weakness for me. Call of Duty, Halo, Modern Warfare - all those games were a struggle for me because I wasn't allowed to play games rated 'M' for mature as a kid. My mom was adamant about not letting me play games with such gore and violence, so I never got into it.

Fast forward to two years ago when Fortnite was at its peak, I decided to give it a shot. I bought an Xbox online membership for the first time and downloaded the game. Being a rookie to Fortnite, playing by myself with little prior experience to the world of shooting games, definitely contributed to me having a poor first-time experience. My playing style would consist of camping out in houses and sprinting toward the circle to camp in another house. I never went on the offensive due to the fear of being shot and my acknowledgment in the lack of skills I had. My strategy never got me over the hump. I never finished first, but my camping skills were so good that I was able to finish with a bunch of top-5 finishes. Thankfully I only bought a one-month membership, so I didn't care when it expired. Didn't even renew it.

Fast forward to now, I'm playing video games a lot more since we are all bored in the house everyday. I'm FaceTiming my friends while I play NBA 2K20, but their all playing Fortnite together. I said screw it, and decided to renew my membership. I'm hoping this time would be different. I only ever played by myself, so I was going one-on-one with the most experienced players and builders in the world. But since I'm on a team now, I don't have to do anything but hide behind my friends.

Over the course of the next two weeks, I'm playing everyday with my boys. We are playing for hours on end with my skills steadily improving each time I log on. Now I can successfully hold my own in a solo match. I even have a few solo victories to my credit.

Fortnite has been a love of mine during this quarantine and I didn't think I would say that as of two months ago.