On June 7, 2018, I finally stood in front of people and performed standup comedy. The polite crowd at Art Boutiki in San Jose, California were treated to a five-minute bit with no ending, and off I went into my new hobby as a standup comedian.

In March, I performed at the Rooster T Feathers New Talent Competition, which I now consider a very important event in my development as a standup comedian. Although I performed well—for my level of experience, anyway—I didn’t advance, but it helped get me more comfortable with being on stage.

This is my one-year “anniversary” set at Art Boutiki, which was just a few months after that Rooster T Feathers competition. I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. Being on stage actually feels fun now.