January 1st, 2020. I stand beside my window, looking out into the black, night sky. It stares back at me. The occasional firework lights up the sky.
What I had in my hands at that moment forever changed the course of my life. I had a blue DSi XL.

In the next few months, I would push what I could do with that old, outdated machine just for the sake of it.
In a short period of time, I had come across the ancient relic that is DSiPaint. As I roamed across the site, I felt like I was walking among the ruins of a once sprawling, prosperous empire. As fireworks issued their bangs and sizzled, I played through the simple DSi Mystery for the first time. My mind was tingling with the possibilities that this DSi could give to me. Even though it was over a decade old, I still saw potential in it.

This fateful encounter with this site launched my foray into the complex and tightly-knit community that is SDK Paint. As I found out later that week after registering a new account, the site was still somewhat active... if you would count under 100 users active. I noticed that this site was way past its prime, its heyday came and gone. Now it was relegated to a ragtag group of die-hard veterans and a bunch of users under unusual circumstances.

This community has a special place in my heart, to say the least. The sharp uniqueness that every user brings to the table is extremely hard to find elsewhere, let alone the small-town feel that the entire site cherishes. In my short, yet fruitful, existence here on Paint, I have interacted with a great number of users: ones who have long left, ones who were alive but have moved on, and newcomers just like me. Every interaction helped shape my perception of a community unlike any other.

As I prepare myself to enter a new year, I wonder what it will bring. After all, my life (as well as a great many of yours, I assume) has been completely shattered with the events of this year. Not only did I discover Paint, but we also discovered the great illness that continues to plague us every day.
Perhaps I will find a new community just as transformative as Paint? Perhaps I will finally be able to take my next step towards higher education?

Who knows what the future brings. All I can do right now, in the present, is to raise a pint and thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Have a great 2021, everyone. May we grow not only as humans but as a community.