I know, a little late...chaos of moving and all that.
On October 17th, Wintreath turned
ten years old. I wonder where the time went. It seems like it was just yesterday that we founded this community as something that was different from anything else on NationStates in 2013: a community of friends that focused on cooperation, compassion, and empathy rather than politics, drama, and division. In fact, I outlined my hopes for the then-one month old community in
A Community Vision, one of the founding documents of this community.
Since then, our community has gone through many changes over the years...our fair share of highs and lows, friends who have come and gone, games and events that had their day. But through it all this community still endures. We still strive to reach the high ideals that our community was founded on, even when we've failed to live up to them at times. We've learned painful lessons, especially this year...but those lessons have crafted a new, stronger foundation for our community to build on as a better place for friends to feel safe and comfortable being who they are.
Ten years in, I believe that Wintreath today is the best it's ever been. And I can say that I've never been happier or prouder of Wintreath, what it represents, and the incredible community that makes its virtual home here today. Although I've had moments of doubt in some of our darkest times, I can say that today I'm as excited for the future of Wintreath as I was ten years ago. Like then, I feel like we have the whole future ahead of us.
Here's to the good times and the bad, to everyone who has made Wintreath what it is today, and to many more years of smiles and laughs with friends. Happy birthday, Wintreath.
