Wednesday, May. 14, 2003 - 3:12 p.m.
Well, kids, it's time to bring my Diaryland experience to a close. I have had an incredible time writing in this for the last year and a half, but it's time to close this chapter in my life. I honestly cannot imagine what my life would be like right now if I hadn't logged on for the first time back in September '01. It always seemed that anytime I was struggling with a problem or just had a bad day, I could count on a few guestbook entries or emails from people who were going through the exact same thing, offering support. I can honestly say that anything positive that has happened in my life in the last year or so has been related to my experience at Diaryland in some way. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my ramblings of the last year and a half. All of you basically know me better than my family, which probably says all I need to say about how much writing in here has meant to me.
I will still be keeping up with the people on my buddy list just as I always have. Each person on that list is meaningful to me on some level, and so many of those people have affected my life in such wonderful ways. Thank you for letting me take a look into your lives - and in some cases, thank you for letting me into your offline lives. I thank those of you whom I have met in person because of this diary for your friendship. I can't even express how much each of you have meant to me.
I'm not saying that I'm completely quitting writing in a diary for good. I may start a new one someday when I feel like I have more to say, but "addicted2ski" will be retired. I'm sure I will get a few people asking what my motivation is for quitting this diary, and I can put it quite simply: "Addicted2ski" was an online name that I established for myself my sophomore year of college when I was in a very different, and in ways too numerous to mention, a very conflicted time in my life. Now that I have a much more grounded sense of who I am, it just feels counterproductive to keep lugging around all the baggage from my darker days.
Thanks for everything, Diaryland!
-Matt
