Inexplicable things and the conjuring of tricks.

This is the definition of magic. For Rob Lake, magic has always been a part of his life. When he was 10, he saw a magic show for the first time.

“I immediately got hooked and knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life,” he said. “Then it became a hobby, and then an obsession, and then eventually a job and a career.”

This career in magic will be displayed when Lake performs An Afternoon of Magic at City High’s Opstad Auditorium, 1900 Morningside Drive, at 2 p.m. Oct. 18. Ticket prices vary from $10 to $25.

Lake said the show will be a full theatrical production including some of his large and favorite illusions.

“Rob Lake is one of the great magicians in the world,” Hancher programming director Jacob Yarrow said. “He’s a youngster, too. He’s one of the youngest magicians ever to win the Merlin International Magician of the Year. And we’re really looking forward to the spectacular magic of the different illusions at the show at City High School.”

The Merlin Award is the highest honor a magician can achieve, and Lake was the youngest magician ever to do so, at age 25. He was honored to be recognized by 37,000 magicians around the world, he said.

In addition to his own act, he has created illusions for the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast. He said he gets inspiration from everyday acts, such as a song, television show, or even walking his dog in the park.

Traveling around 75 percent of the year, he has an extremely hectic schedule. To keep balanced, he makes sure to eat well and exercise while on the road. He enjoys traveling, he said, and he especially enjoyed his time in Japan and Europe.

With all the traveling he does, Lake said, rehearsals are crucial, especially for new illusions. With performances in new locations and venues all the time, he said his crew will rehearse new illusions for months before performing them in front of an audience.

Even with the hectic schedule and busy lifestyle, he said, he still enjoys magic. He enjoys the enchantment and wonder of illusions, and he thinks this escape is something that everyone needs.

“It’s times like these where everyone needs to experience a little magic,” Lake said. “For just a brief moment, anything seems possible. We defy all the natural laws of gravity and visibility and levitation. Things people really have always dreamed or wished that they could do. We manage to make people for a brief moment feel like anything is possible. That’s probably the neatest thing about a magic show.”