I started with paintball after being invited to a birthday party when I was 12. I played for a few years,but I wanted something more realistic. So I began searching for mag-fed guns and events and came across airsoft milsims. Specifically...
Operation Eastwind
http://www.operationeastwind.com/
It was everything I had ever wanted, so I began gearing up to be a Russian soldier. Sadly, Eastwind ended in 2015, before I ever got to go. But I kept going in airsoft since it's fun. Hopefully, something as extensive as Op. Eastwind pops up again.