In 2015 on February 10, I was talking to Chris about something and he casually dropped in at the end of the conversation, "Oh you can change your title to community manager now, by the way." I tried to play it cool and said, "Okay, thanks!", returned to my work like it was no big deal but on the inside, it felt like fireworks were going off. At this point, I had spent two years with the customer support team and I was ready to challenge myself further and learn some new skills. Becoming the community manager seemed like a great opportunity but little did I know, I had just started my dream role.

It's been five years since then but it feels like just five months have passed in that time. Looking back feels like a blur of good times, challenging experiences and great people. Sometimes when I tell people what I do, they'll respond with, "Oh gosh, how do you handle people?" and do this little shudder as they imagine the horrors that await within the gaming community. I always tell them the people are the best part. And it’s true.

It's tempting to use this occasion to simply reflect on what this experience has meant for me in my life but what I want to talk about is you, the Path of Exile community. Back in November, I was able to meet many of you at ExileCon. It was one of the highlights of my life. While I have always carried a sense of importance around what the community experiences with Path of Exile - when I met you in person, was able to look you in the eye and hear your stories firsthand, it put great emphasis on the reality of what all of this means.

It is such a privilege to be welcomed into your everyday lives, to be responsible for some of the joy you experience in your free time, and that you place trust in us that when you log onto Path of Exile you’ll have a good experience.

It's extremely satisfying taking the community's requests, feedback and memes back to the development team and seeing them come to life in Path of Exile. I take a lot of pride being part of that process and making sure that the community is at the forefront of our priorities.

The most precious thing we have is time. It is humbling to know that there are so many of you who choose to spend your time with us. With me. Some of you I get to talk to on an almost daily basis, some of you I’ve known for many years. I am so grateful for all of this time, for five years as your community manager. Thank you all so much.

When I returned from my parental leave in January, I was a little nervous about what it would be like to come back after being away for what felt like an eternity. Would I be welcome? Would it be the same? Would I enjoy it as much as I used to? The welcome I received on my first day back was absolutely overwhelming. It felt like returning home. I am full of joy to think of spending another five years with this amazing community.

I have seen the work we've done on Path of Exile 2 and our next expansion in March and it makes me extremely happy that after all this time, I'm still just as excited about the future as I was in 2015. The best is yet to come. See you around, exiles.

(Side note - I'm celebrating by hosting an AMA over on Twitter. Feel free to stop by and chat!)