I have a weird journey. Not unique, but a bit weird.
A part of the high school band liked to go to coffee at 5th period and also smoke Backwoods. I was in this elite clique.
When I was 16 or 17, a relative who worked in politics heard about my cigar smoking and realized that he could regift some gifts that he received from colleagues and others to me. So every so often, I got a box of Partagas Coronas in the mail from Washington, DC. Uncle Mike made me realize that there were VERY good cigars out there. He was a strict non-smoker, but didn't judge either. Very thankful for that. My dad used cigars as a way to quit smoking around the same time.
I mostly smoked Fuentes, Padrons, and such in the 80s but found a person who regularly ordered from Australia in the very early 90s and mostly switched back. I think that I more or less left NCs behind when I found Club Stogie and some people there helped me to learn how to order direct more easily. I still have a few NCs that I smoke occasionally and do love the Short Stories.