About Moonie
I also write for IGN, How to Geek, and Culture of Gaming! I’ve worked on several IGN WIki’s for AAA titles such as Animal Crossing, Bravely Default 2, Tales of Arise, and Triangle Strategy.
Fun Fact : “Moonie” is coined from, you guessed it, J.K. Rowling’s fictional character Remus Lupin. Reading is but one of my many hobbies and I will always treasure the memories of reading the Harry Potter franchise from start to finish, over and over again, even in to my old age (seriously, it’s a bestseller for a reason). Eventually, the nickname “Moonie” just stuck among my friends and it became my internet persona. Plus, I really enjoy moon aesthetics.
I’ve always really enjoyed putting my thoughts to paper, but perhaps my earliest addiction were video games. My earliest memories of video games was in elementary school—all of the cool kids had one of the very first Game Boy’s and I was jealous. Like a cult, they would sit together during lunch breaks, during recess, on the bus, and play Pokémon . I would sigh and whine and go home every night wishing I just had a Game Boy. Life would be so much better if I had a Game Boy.
Remember when you were a kid and the week before summer break absolutely nothing happened at school? The teachers would try their best to get a roll call in the morning which would be met by droning noises, the lunches were half-assed, absolutely no homework at all. Well, my school was no exception. All of us kids were sitting in an empty classroom (seriously, the teacher couldn’t care less) and my best friend, Jacob, pulled out his Game Boy. I stared at him, hungrily, wishing and hoping one day I would lay my hands on this magical wonder, and then I had my moment.
He handed me his Game Boy and I was very reluctant to release it after two hours of game play. If I remember correctly, I played Pokémon Yellow. I went on to play Mario on the NES and the Nintendo 64. My grandmother, who was struggling to raise my brother and I, bought us the first Game Boy Advance along with Pokemon Sapphire, Harvest Moon, and Mario. I had the GameCube, Playstation 1 & 2 as soon as it was released. I played The Sims 2 on a cheap computer set up in the living room. I had bookshelves filled with empty cartridges, manuals, notebooks with tons of hidden cheats and achievements and notes (it’s not a good video game unless you find yourself taking copious notes)!
But my true love, the love to start the addiction of all addictions, was when she (my grandmother) bought the Playstation 1 with Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX. I played those games over and over and over. I got 100% on them all and I didn’t stop there. My next addiction was the GameCube, and the GameBoy, and the list goes on.
In 2017, after moving to Colorado and putting together my static group for Final Fantasy XIV, I began searching for ways to get out of my career as a Paralegal. I began coding, writing more, streaming, and as I was filling out applications I thought to myself—I have a literature degree, but I don’t have a portfolio.
After I got over the initial anxiety-ridden hump I decided… What the heck? I’ll start a blog where I can practice code, write what I want, and share my streaming channel on Twitch. In 2019 (the same year I created this website), I left my Paralegal career behind, and I’m very happy with my career change. Writing makes me very happy, and now I write/edit for IGN, How to Geek, and I hope to expand my horizons as the years stretch on.