It was something like year '84 or something when a few guys of my high-school had been exchange-students in the U.S. and told me about roleplaying. I wasn't that good friend with them to join a game but the idea felt great.
Well, it laid dormant the next 10+ years until Lommy & A Little Green were old enough and fallen to Tolkien...
We played the MERP to begin with and then moved on to our own games (using the Rolemaster rules). Nowadays I think Lommy at least is a much more experienced gamemaster than I am but we are planning games still even if it's been a long time we've actually played them together...
The planning of them is almost as interesting than the actual playing.
But it's a lot of fun indeed whichever way.