I've met so many people across the world! My online communities often skew US-centric (because that is where I live); web-building, in its asynchronous nature, has introduced me to people from all across the globe!

I have a complicated relationship with other types of self-expression; music, drawing, painting, writing, etc. Having a website has given me a way to express myself and create what I consider to be "art" without the self-imposed expectations and stress that comes with other types of expression.

It has given me a way to have fun on the web and use the internet in ways that are a lot healthier for me than scrolling social media or worrying about what others think! I really feel like I've rediscovered the whimsy and limitless possibilities I saw the web as having when I was a child. Making a website how I want to, seeing others do the same, creating our own spaces entirely- it's all helped remind me why I love the internet. How wonderful, to create something for myself that can only be done in this medium!

I've wanted to learn to code since I was a kid, but always found it too boring or complicated to really sink my teeth into. By focusing my attention on something I wanted to create instead of forcing myself to learn things the "normal" way, I was able to learn a lot more!

Working so hard on something that I coded with my own two hands from scratch has really helped with the "nothing I do has any impact" feeling that depression often causes. People can search my website on any browser! I'm here! I'm here, on the internet, and I've carved out my own little space, and I make enough backups that I don't worry about losing it. I love my website so much; I'm so happy to belong to this community and to have worked so hard!