My first stand-up experience was in a church basement at a talent show to raise money for a catholic teen conference... and no, that wasn't a joke in my set. It was my reality.

Everyone has to start somewhere. I just have a hard time believing that Amy Schumer got her big start in a church basement and ended it with a prayer. It's still weird for me to even say this is my "start", however, since stand up comedy and comedy writing has always been a latent dream of mine that has only recently floated to the surface of my consciousness. I wonder what other kinds of crazy stuff I have repressed. 

It wasn't until I saw this gem of a picture of me doing my set in the church bulletin (bottom, dead center), that I could actually envision this dream becoming a reality. Side note - why do all pictures of comics portray them as somewhat leaning into the crowd and shrugging. It's like their body language is saying "just please laugh at this joke so I don't hate myself as much later."

I decided to do this set on a whim - how I usually make all of the big decisions in my life. I've decided to switch majors, break up with past exes, start a blog (ha..haha..haahaa..HA), interview for an internship in Seattle, and many more huge life decisions on a whim! At the same time, catch me at your local Starbucks going back and forth between a green tea latte and a white mocha for an hour.

It was a great whim decision, however. After doing the set, I felt like I had just done something I really loved. Hearing the audience actually laugh at my uncomfortable and self deprecating humor made me feel so good. My friend's little sister actually said "Nikki, I think you found your calling". Never being sure of myself (ie the green tea vs. white mocha crisis), I took her outsider opinion very seriously.

So began the presumptively tumultuous senior year of college, where I took final steps towards a degree that I love, and loosely related to comedy writing and entertainment, and seeing how I could fit my passions for being both behind and in front of the scenes into one job post-graduation.