I thank everyone who has previously posted here & in other RAT threads.
Seems most people complete their basic kit in about 1-2 years. Took me 11 years! :lol:
First, starting in 1994, when the public internet was so young, and I was so busy with school & work, I had little time to make my own stuff (that hasn't changed..). I bought best I could find & afford (*LOL*). Restarted in 1996, 2000, 2002-3 (Christian may remember me briefly from Athens, Georgia (USA), when he was studying @ Emory University), and 2005, when work eased up enough... :lol: Finally finished my full first century last May, after 11 years, only to have life changing health problems hit me four weeks later.
Annnywayyy, I finally starting long road to partial recovery. I'm now changing to two lighter weight impressions (partly financed by selling/trading my heavier first century items to get lighter 5th century light infantry items.
I hope to finish my full fifth century light infantry kit by May 2007. Maybe save up enough vacation time & money to return to Europe, where I lived & worked (1982-1985). Not easy with my RL work (disaster planning, preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation [my RL work & situation is somewhat like what the Western Roman Empire & their successor states faced from about from 375 AD through 800 AD]).
I would loove to visit Castra Regina (about 50 km from where I lived/worked for two years) again. Jah, I kann Deutsch. Sprechen? Gutt genuch. Buchstabieren? Nach 21 jahren, night zehr ausgesichnet. So much archaeological advancement there, and along the Raetian Limes since then. I'd also like to visit Sarre-Union FR (in former Roman Belgica), where I learned a few years ago that my family ancestors (familie Stroh) go back to at least 1540 AD. So, I may actually have some northern Roman blood mixed with my known Celtic & Germanic & my unknown southern European (Italian, Spanish or Portuguese?) blood. I'd like to visit more of north & central Italy again as well...
Enough of my dreaming...
Thank you again to so many good folks here who have shared their knowledge & experience. I look forward to doing more of that myself, to help others with their own reenactment dreams!
Pax vobiscvm, "+
r" (i.e., Brother Restitvtvs)