A breath of fresh air

Hello. Wow it has been almost 4 years since I stopped playing. I do not know if anyone will read this but perhaps this is more for me. First off let me say Im sorry. After quitting ffxi I had cut ties with everyone that I knew. I will be honest and say that it pained me a lot to do such a thing but I was worried if I kept strong ties with those I played with I would be sucked back in. The main reason I had quit ffxi was because I needed to move on in my life. For those of you who didnt know, I had flunked out of college and more or less needed to get back on track. Despite the love and friendship I got from the game, ffxi was an addiction to me. There were defintely times that I spent on the game that should of gone to my studies. FFxi was an escape for me from my responsibilities and the pains that I had in life. I was using it as a crutch and I knew that for me to grow into a better person that I needed to move on. So what ever happened to the fat tailed kitty you might ask. Well after flunking out of physics I went to my local community college and took every possible course that even remotely interested me. Politics, psychology, gender studies, you name it. The one class that stuck out to me however was my anthropology course. For those of you who dont know, anthropology is the study of humans which has been separated into four fields. The one field that I fell in love with was archaeology. On top of learning about the cultures you got to actually go out and find lost artifacts! Sure most of the time you find junk but there is the occasional really cool artifact.So long story short I kicked butt in my courses and got accepted into a good 4 year college and just recently graduated with my degree. I have been accepted into a masters program where I will continue my research in archaeology. My current focus is on the Maya ritual caves in the country of Belize where I am currently on a 2 and a half month recon mission examining and cataloging both architecture and cave use. I am currently the supervisor of the survey devision whose group goal is to gather gps and map points using an assortment of technology out in the jungle. Our team nickname is machete division due to our often use of the tool. Im sure you're wondering why I have posted now after all this time. Despite ffxi not being the best thing for me and despite my quick exit from the game, ffxi has always had a place in my heart. Both the game and the people on it allowed me to be who I wanted without being judged. You might find it odd due to my often bubbly personality but I was often depressed, quiet, and sad when I did not play the game. I was a totally different person in real life because I was never happy with what I was doing. Ive written this post because I feel I owe it to the many people who helped me during my dark time in life a heartful thank you. I never would of become the happy and bubbly person I am now had it not been for all the amazing friends that I had online. Miryoku still dwells in me in spirit and her quirks have become parr of who I am now. A happy person. (I must admit I do carry a 4 leaf clover similar to the 4 leaf mandy bud Miry always had on her although the treasure hunter has yet to help me with my excavations.) So thank you everyone. The memories I have with all of you will always be carried on in my joyful heart. I thought about replaying ffxi but after watching the changes that were made Ive come to realize the game I once loved is now gone. I would love to hear from any of my old adventuring buddies so if interested please email me at yumidokomo@gmail.com. Im about to head into the jungle for three weeks with no internet so my responses might be delayed. You can chew me out for dissapearing, or laugh and catch up. I deserve whatever comes my way. Ill be patiently waiting.