I became rpg designer, game master, and player (in that specific order) twenty years ago. I don't remember exact time but it was spring on 1994... Certainly after February, most probably late March or early April. As I mentioned before in one of my early posts, I designed a role-playing game before playing one. I also GMed before I played.
Twenty years later I am still willing to play, GM, and design as I was at the beginning. The style probably changed with experience, I had my ups and lows, but I expect that I will stick to this hobby until the end of my life (or at least until I get mentally impaired by old age to a degree preventing any level of lucidity).
I am working on increasing designer part of my gaming life, and intend to keep it so. How well it will go, we'll see.