Beginner: Why pursue climbing

Question
I am a new climber (started through a friend a few months ago) who has dove headfirst into the sport because i love exploring outdoors so much. I was just wondering what got a veteran climber like yourself hooked in the forst place. thanks in advance for answering my question.

Answer
I got hooked at 9 years old while sitting in El Cap Meadow in Yosemite watching Royal Robbins make the first solo climb of El Capitan circ 1970. From that point I was fascinated with climbing. At the time you had to be 14 to take a climbing class in Yosemite, I had to wait until 15.  I started climbing in 1976, took classes with the Yosemite Mountaineering School, started climbing with the Sierra Club Rock Climbing Section (no longer exists) on weekends.  Taught myself to lead, in those days no school would teach leading.  Somehow survived. I am now 44 and am headed to Yosemite next week to do some climbing and I love it as much now as I did when I was 15.  

I've seen lots of changes in 30 years, we started by using what were called Swami belts, it was wrapping webbing around your waist several times and tying it, then tying the rope to that.

Doing body and carribiner break rappels, long before rappel devices, Body belays, years before belay devices.  EB's were the only climbing shoes available. No such thing as Cams, Friends, TCU's etc. All Hex's and stoppers in those days.

Hope to see you around the rock sometime.  Where are you from?

Jeff