hi... I guess?

...hi everyone! It’s been a long time, like, really long. The last time I was blogging was way back in 2008. Can you believe that? Nearly two decades ago! Time has seriously flown by. So much has changed since then — my life, the world, and of course, the ever-evolving universe of video games. But one thing that hasn’t changed is my love for gaming and anime.

If you’ve been part of the Sonic fandom but weren’t in the Ocean Palace community, you might’ve been wondering what happened — why I suddenly disappeared from blogging and YouTube. Well, I had some personal stuff to sort out, and on top of that, because of family connections in cybersec (long story), keeping an online presence wasn’t exactly ideal. So, yeah, I had to step away. No more blogging, no more Let’s Plays. And honestly? It sucked. I loved doing them, and leaving was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make 💔

Coming back has been... well, interesting. I’m definitely more cautious this time around, for privacy reasons, mostly, but I’m slowly finding my rhythm online again. I know I’ll never be as open as I was back in the 2000s. The world and the internet have changed so much since then, and let’s be honest, not always for the better. Online culture just doesn’t have that same warmth anymore; the days of decency, friendliness, and honesty feel long gone. It’s disheartening. Back then, it felt so natural to be open and share freely, but these days, I’m much more careful about how I approach things. Even so, it feels good to be back. It reminds me of why I loved sharing my thoughts and experiences here in the first place.

Leaving behind the community I helped build was, without a doubt, the hardest part. We had been through so much together since 2005, practically growing up side by side. Those were some of the best years of my life, and the memories I have with so many of you are ones I’ll always hold close to my heart. I know my sudden disappearance caused confusion and hurt; no one could make sense of it. It left many searching for answers that just weren't there, and for that, I’m truly sorry. It wasn’t something I wanted, and it hurt me more than I can express. The pain of leaving stayed with me every day, and there were nights when I cried just thinking about it all. But at the time, it was something I had to do.

But hey, I’m back! Blogging again feels like coming home. There’s so much happening in the world right now, and I’m excited to talk about it. I’ve also been working on some cool projects with friends that I can’t wait to share with you soon. I’ve missed this space and all of you so much. It feels so good to reconnect and have this little corner to share my thoughts and passions again

Things are gonna be a lil different this time around. I'm not gonna be posting all the time like I used to. Life’s pretty busy, and most of the community chatter happens in the Ocean Palace Discord server these days anyway. But I’ll be here whenever I feel like sharing something, just going with the flow.

So, whether you’re an old friend or someone new, welcome (or welcome back) to my little corner of the internet. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it And don’t worry, I won’t disappear again for another decade. I hope anyway! x

~Hailey