I've never really put words to the feeling, but you're right-- I guess in a lot of ways, a new fandom is like having a crush.

That's a perfect description of how I tend to feel. That rush... And yeah, long before the internet, before I knew fandom was a thing. I mean, I joke about my, uh, twenty-six year crush on Fox McCloud but let's face it, it's thoroughly grounded in a very real 'this can't be what happens to other kids' love of the entire game, world, characters, and definitely Fox.