Growing up, my go-to movie was Star Wars. The movie that we watched as a whole family was almost always Star Wars because it was one of the only things that we could agree on to watch together. I’ve seen the original trilogy (that’s episodes 4, 5, and 6 for you non-Star Wars people) so many times that I can pretty much quote the movies word for word as they play. I feel like the movies were such a big influence on me that nothing else really made an impact on me until I was a lot older.

My dad saw the original trilogy in theaters when they first came out, and it was his love for the movies that brought me and my siblings into the Star Wars family too. We watched the movies so many times that I’m sure we’ve worn a groove in the disc. As a kid, I began looking for other Star Wars material outside of the movies. I mean, six movies can only last for so long, especially when you’re rewatching them all constantly. So I began to read Star Wars books too.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “What kind of nerd reads Star Wars books?”. Well, to be honest, I didn’t love it at first. I don’t know how many of you know this, but outside of the movies, there are hundreds of books, comics, and short stories about the Star Wars universe. So it definitely could keep a kid busy, even one who reads incredibly fast like I do. I was so obsessed with anything I could get my hands on, that I can guarantee that I’ve read most of the Star Wars books at the library.

All of this buildup in my childhood made the suspense of waiting to see The Force Awakens almost unbearable. Sitting in the theater and watching the opening crawl move up the screen while listening to John Williams’ famous theme was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in my life. I hadn’t seen a Star Wars movie in theaters since Episode III came out in 2005, and I was too little then to truly appreciate the experience. Having Disney announce that they’re going to be releasing a movie every year for the next few years was a dream come true for me.

In case you thought that was all that I could say about Star Wars, you weren’t 100% correct. There are also Star Wars cartoons that took how much I love cartoons to a whole new level. Both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels made me fall in love with characters that don’t all appear in the movies. I’ve gotten so emotionally attached to these characters, that I hated to watch their stories end (technically Star Wars Rebels isn’t over yet, but there are only a few more episodes, so I’m already starting to get the end-of-show feels).

Star Wars has been a huge part of my life and will continue to be as long as there are books, movies, or tv shows out there. It defines part of who I am, and I’m proud to say that I’ve been and will be a fan for life. Even if you think Star Wars is overrated, don’t let people ruin the experience for you. Look at it with an open mind, and make sure that you don’t invite me to come with you. I might ruin the experience by explaining the background behind it or telling you why what’s happening was foreshadowed two movies back. But it’s up to you. May the force be with you.