How my “Inner Nerd” helps my Mental Health:

You may know him for landing larger than life acting roles, but there is so much more to Zachary Levi than what meets the eye. He grew up all over the country before his family put down roots in Ventura County, California. He knew at the ripe age of six that his passions were acting, singing and dancing. His perseverance paid off as he’s now known for his work in “Chuck” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” as well as films like “Shazam!” “American Underdog,” and the up and coming “Harold and the Purple Crayon.”  

How my “Inner Nerd” helps my Mental Health:

Some of my favorite memories as a child involve saving my allowance and paper route money to buy the newest comic books: X-Men, GI Joe, Spider-Man, X-Factor, and many more, including my favorite DareDevil. My love of nerd culture continued to grow as I grew, from reading my favorite fantasy and sci-fi authors (Piers Anthony, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, etc), to developing an intense love of board games (Settlers of Catan:Cities & Knights may be the greatest board game ever invented), to just recently wrapping up 125 sessions of a homebrew Dungeons & Dragons campaign. But it’s not just classic nerd culture that brings me joy – I’m also a huge nerd when it comes to sports, traveling, and cuisine – because being a nerd simply means you’re passionate about something!

Today however, if you ask me what I ‘nerd out’ most about, I’d have to say it’s whatever my children are doing…

How my “Inner Nerd” helps my Mental Health:

My nerdom began on my first trip to Disneyland as a child. Being shorter than the ‘height limit’ for many of the rides, the Jungle Cruise was one of the first rides that was available to me as I grew. When the “Suwannee Lady” boat arrived at the dock, it was the beginning of a lifelong love of all things Walt Disney. In addition to being a DisNerd, I love exploring and encouraging my Godchildren’s nerdy interests. I’m also a fan of my hometown sports teams, all crossword puzzles, and reading historical biographies. Plus I love to volunteer my time with different non-profits, exploring museums, beach days and being active outside with my dog.

How my “Inner Nerd” helps my Mental Health:

My journey into being a Nerd began in middle school in the library.  I fell in love with books like The Chronicles of Narnia and A Wrinkle In Time. Today, I count The Wheel Of Time, The Sword Of Truth, and The Dresden Files among my favorite series.  In addition to reading, I fell in love with gaming back in the Atari 2600 days and still game almost daily, whether it’s solo or with my wife. The Final Fantasy and Zelda series are my go to, but also I’ve fallen hard into The Last of Us and Destiny series.  Today, our recipe for Nerdiness includes a love for travel, especially cruising, as well as attending pop culture conventions and events around the country.  Add a dash of college football, great television and movies, and NerdHQ of course to get a taste of what Nerdiness means to us!