What began as a private joke among friends and family – sharing a laugh through an Instagram account meant for my closest pals – has taken me on a journey I could hardly have imagined. Under the handle @schoonerscorer, my original plan was to keep things light-hearted and low-key, scoring 425ml beers (schooners) in pubs with a candid, unpolished approach. But, as I shared my 60-second, unscripted reviews on TikTok slightly more than a year ago, the account jumped from private fun to public movement.

These travels have become notable reminders of why I began this journey. My trip to New York City, for instance, was an unexpectedly enriching chapter. I’d planned to take in the Big Apple at a steady pace, but Manhattan had other ideas. I started my first evening at Rudy’s, a storied bar with a certain raw charm, where a local artist sketched New York’s iconic skyline on my back with a near-sacred reverence. Later that evening, I found myself at the New York Athletic Club, invited by someone who’d seen my story from Rudy’s.

From the club’s rooftop, I took in the glittering Central Park under evening lights, as a quiet drink turned into a night of introductions and schooner scoring with fascinating personalities, Olympians among them. The next four days followed suit, with constant invitations, new faces and vibrant interactions.

This journey remains deeply personal and humbling. I'm currently on a one-year sabbatical, traveling in search of the best beer, after maintaining a full-time role in a completely different field, one that kept me rooted in reality even as Schooner Scorer connected me with celebrities, national radio stations and industry leaders. Yet, despite these experiences, I know this is only the beginning. Ultimately, I hope my journey can contribute in a small way to redefining social media, making it less about filtered ideals and more about shared experiences and authentic sociability.