I had a cube when I was younger (age 12?), but I had no idea how to solve it. I was vaguely aware it could be solved in layers, but I had no idea how. I worked for months on it slowly solving layers and working my way up. The first layer was pretty easy, the second was a little harder, but the last layer really seemed to stump me for a long time. I was always careful about how I turned it so I could reverse my turns if I messed something up, but I didn't record it, and many times when I finally got the next piece in place it was because I tried 100 different things over the course of a week, and I had no idea how to replicate it, but I was only concerned with solving it just to say I did it. Finally after working for several months on a single solve, I managed to get it solved. I was hesitant to scramble it because I had no idea how I had actually solved it, so another solve would have likely taken months - if I could even repeat it. I put it down after that and never really went back to it. In retrospect I should have been more methodical so I could have repeated my moves, and it would have given me a deeper understanding of the movements.
Then I broke my wrist in 2016 (age 33), and when I got my cast off I purchased an off brand rubik's cube to help regain some movement and dexterity. I memorized the 5 algorithms needed for the beginner's method, then practiced it over and over until they were muscle memory. I practiced until I could consistently solve it in under 2 minutes. I stop playing for a few months, then go back to it, then stop again, etc. I think I'm limited in how fast I can solve using the beginner's method though, so I'm looking into the Fridrich method. Hopefully learning a faster method will keep me engaged with it and I can improve my solve time.
Anyone into the rubik's cube? What is your solve time? What method(s) do you use? Did you start with the beginner's method or jump straight into a more advanced method? In either case, how long did it take you to master the more advanced method?