I am emerging from ~6 months of convalescence in which I was speedrunning treatment of burgeoning health issues, and would now like to broaden my horizons beyond playing N64 games in bed and popping paracetamol.

About me: I'm 30 and currently studying microbiology full time. Was previously a data analyst, technical writer and naive philosophy graduate who thought there were still jobs in academia I could fill. I have been described as intense and can be obsessional with my interests (see below). In terms of physical attributes, I am overweight thanks to the aforementioned 6 months of convalescence, though am enjoying getting back into gym and regaining my fitness.

Hobbies/interests: far too many ologies, including mycology, herpetology, microbiology and ornithology. I also still never shook my interest in philosophy (it's like an open wound that you poke with a stick for amusement - props if you get that reference) and still find myself wanting to read and engage with it. I also really enjoy music, with most of my taste encompassing some kind of experimental ethos. Recent favourites have included Mahler, Pere Ubu, John Fahey and The Dead C. Also enjoy gaming as just about everyone else on Reddit does. I enjoy revisiting N64 and Gamecube games that I grew up with. I also play OSRS and am an ironman btw.

What I'm after: I'm looking for both friends and dates. In terms of friends, I have no preference in gender as I find I can get along with anyone. We should probably have something in common so that we can have some interesting conversations, but I’ve also found friends in unexpected places. In terms of dates, I consider myself straight and am only attracted to men and masculine-presenting people (bonus points for a dad bod). I’ve found in past relationships that I am mainly attracted to people who are intellectually curious, creative or artistic. I would also only seriously consider dating someone who is either roughly the same age or older, just because I tend to value maturity.