I experienced my first tabletop game when I was 12. The campaign we played lasted 3 years, until my elf wizard was reincarnated into a bugbear and was promptly killed by the other PCs (not realizing that I was reincarnated). Losing that character, I did several other TT games, but I never connected on that special level that your loved character ever did.
That was until I turned 16, purchased Neverwinter Nights for the PC and began playing on an Anphilia server which was a PvP heavy RP server. Later I ended up admiring and hosting the same type of server.
Over the years, tabletop fell away as I moved away from home, and found it hard to find D&D lovers. I kept up with the game though, and took a job at Wizards of the Coast as a moderator. I did engage in the "Tavern" which was a strictly RP setting while it lasted, with no dice involved.
When D&D Online came out, I pre-ordered, but found it lacking RP wise. I tried going back a few years later, and its a little better, but its just not the same.
It wasn't until recently I found Roll20, and realized I had the possibility of online TableTop. I have 3 other friends that also are looking to start a campaign, many of us being longterm RPers, but lacking book knowledge on the current rules. In my opinion, that is a good thing because its better to figure out a problem by thinking outside the box than rolling a die.