In this memoir, UI professor emeritus Gerhard Loewenberg recounts twelve episodes in his personal and professional life that reflect the academic world in the second half of the 20th century, describing the events, decisions, and twists of fate that landed him his first academic appointment, his research on the German parliament, his adaptation to the changing discipline of political science, and the route that led him to become a prominent member of the UI faculty and co-founder of Legislative Studies Quarterly.