It's not even a goodbye, really. It's more of an "I'll probably be around less". As for the reason why, well... it's time. That's all there is to it.

It's hard to believe that it's been a year already. Somehow, I've gone from being a neophyte here at PTA and GWA to being an "established" member of the community, much to my continuing amazement. For the longest time, I felt like I was skirting around the edges, so it's hard to tell exactly when I transitioned from being one to the other. But I suppose that's how it goes where changes are concerned. They always happen bit by painstaking bit, sometimes so slowly that you don't even notice until you finally pause to take a look back.

I've made some wonderful acquaintances along the way. I've also seen some of my favourite voices and writers in the community vanish overnight, with no explanation as to their disappearance. Their reasons are their own, of course, and I've no wish to rebuke them for their decision to disengage. It is difficult, however, to connect with people, whether online or in "real" life, only to watch them disappear. It's hard not to feel a little sad whenever someone departs, someone whose presence you'd become familiar and comfortable with. Someone who you thought would be around forever. But of course that's an absurd expectation. It's a vain wish at best to think that things will always remain in their current state. People come and go as they please, after all. I've also seen plenty of new great voices and writers join up, and do my best to welcome them as an "old-timer", something which still feels strange to me.

I'll probably still be around for a while, curating and reposting old stuff that I've written, or leaving comments on things that other people are making. (Producing new material is another matter.) I rather infamously went on two separate "hiatuses", only to produce more scripts than at any other point during my stay here, so I'm wary about calling it that. And I'm not planning on leaving just yet. But I think it'll be simpler and easier if I say goodbye now. Just in case.

Though I've put out the occasional audio recording, I've mainly interacted with the community as a writer, staying behind the scenes, being that stringing words together at my own pace has always been my forte, as opposed to actually speaking them aloud. I saw it as my humble means of giving something back to a community that has done so much for me. Regardless of when I finally leave, my content will stay up, so long as it isn't removed by moderation, automated or otherwise. It is, and always will be, free for use and modification. I'm okay with just about any use of it, including monetization, so long as I receive credit as the original writer. That's all I ask in return.

When I first learned of and eventually joined the audio community here (r/pillowtalkaudio and r/gonewildaudio specifically), I was not in a good place. Things are on the mend now, but I still have a ways to go. That's part of the reason why I feel the need to slow things down. Maybe for a while. Maybe for good. I don't know yet, hence this "pre-emptive farewell".

It's a strange hobby, making aural smut. Certainly one that I never thought in a million years that I'd be ensconced in. I've had some good times, and I've received some amazing fills for my scripts. I still get a buzz whenever I hear someone actually reading and performing words that I wrote in isolation, and knowing that other people around the world are listening, too.

I came here expecting to find some relaxing sleep aid audios, and possibly some enjoyable audio smut. That, I did. What I wasn't expecting to find was such a warm and welcoming community, filled with bright, funny, co-operative, mature, and just downright extraordinary souls. So, to the lovely people of this audio community, I just wanted to say the following:

I appreciate every one of you. It's been a blast. Thank you.