i did it!! my first gunpla, aerial, has been completed.
it took me about 8 hours roughly. the most tedious session was the first, where i was learning how to follow the directions and where the pieces commonly snap together, those basic things. i did 2 more sessions after that, one where i just did the arms, and then the last session was legs, waist, and weapons, which took about 3 hours. i imagine as i get more accustomed to building i can shave off an hour or two. 
i've never built anything this intricate before. i feel accomplished, although a little perturbed at my inability to hold the tiny pieces, lol. i've always been a little clumsy, but i feel like this sort of hobby really exacerbates that trait in me. i imagine getting better at holding the pieces comes with time, or you learn how to hold them in a good pair of tweezers if you don't trust your fingers, lol. it also probably didn't help that my nails are currently done, so they're longer than i'm used to!
overall though, my experience was positive! i'd love to go straight into building the next one, but my back needs a bit of a break. damn you chronic pain!! 
i'm interested in trying panel lining in the future, which seems like the easiest "extra step" to add in. waterslides and airbrushing painting is super cool to watch, but i unfortunately don't have enough space to accommodate all the tools you need for that. 
i should take it a step at a time anyways! not that i'll stop watching airbrushing videos on youtube tho... 
ty for reading~ 
