The Times Have Changed, Can You Relate?

     When I was just the age of 10 years old, I discovered that there is an online realm that individuals from across the world can be in. I didn’t know that signing up for the first time would leave me hungry for the next 16 years. Registering for the first time had me intrigued by what’s to come, what a newbie pack is, and how the site even worked. What are these creatures and what are their names? I had so much to learn, not knowing I’d be where I am now.

     I have a question for you, reader. Do you remember picking your first Neopet? How long did you think Neopets would stay in your life? What was your favorite game to play? I say, back in my early days, I had so much to discover. My first neopet ever was a yellow Blumaroo. The Blumaroo is still my favorite! I always hold them close to me, wishing I could go back to the days where life was so simple. Life when I thought Blumaroo was spelled as “Bulmaroo”. Life when I panicked when I would spin the Wheel of Fortune and hope I didn’t get my neopets sick. I had no clue how to make neopoints, so when they’d get sick and I had to go to the pharmacy to look for what the cure is, then save neopoints to purchase the cure. I didn’t even know about the Healing Springs!

     You know another thing I didn’t understand? The stock market, which now is my favorite thing to do on a daily basis. I had no idea what it even was, how it worked, what to look for, and even how to buy stocks. My brother, who’s three years older than me, would always do that during his Neopets era. Of course, he stopped playing as he was growing up because he was getting ready for bigger and better things.

          I looked up to my brother a lot, and he’s the one that introduced me to this lovely website. I thought that Neopets was pretty black and white. Take care of your Neopets, play games, and buy A LOT of omelettes. I had to make sure my neopets stay bloated. I didn’t even know that the NeoLodge existed. My primary source to obtaining neopoints to ensure I got my omelettes was playing the games. Meerca Chase, the first Meerca Chase. So simple, so classic, and all around a very addicting for a 10-year-old to play. When I realized there was a code you could type on the home screen to unlock a new game type within the game, I was shocked and thrilled. It was so fun and so crazy.

     Can you relate to the inevitable realization that this website would become a huge part of your life? When I discovered neoboards, guilds, and other social platforms within the site, it was like unlocking the true potential of Neopets and that’s when I realized that I was not leaving the site any time soon. I learned so much through the years. I received so much help, and I got to learn other people’s reason for joining the site. Neopians have different interests and goals. They have their own methods of earning NP, have their own personal story on how they came across this website, had their own life to live and yet choose to keep Neopets in their lives.

     Why am I saying all this? Well, we have reached the year of 2020 and Neopets has been around for a little over 20 year. Tonight, I was thinking about the impact Neopets had in my life. For me, Neopets is a lot more than a virtual pet site. I love the fact that we as Neopians can communicate to one another, help each other, and support each other. Neopets is a platform to discover, create, and educate. Neopets is a place where you can go to relax and escape the real world for a little bit and chat with some very friendly people and work on some in site projects.

     I am not going to lie, I didn’t think I would be writing this, but I felt that I needed everyone to know my story. I honestly cannot imagine how my life would be without this site. Let me tell you about the things that had a large impact in my life that Neopets has done for me. First, I create graphics now. I have learned to use a program that let my mind wander and to create whatever I wanted. Neopets allowed me to discover my passions and I realized that I would love to go back to college to obtain a Graphic Design degree, while also learning more complex web design codes. I would not be where I am today without Neopets.

     To close, the biggest impact this site has had on my life is you, reader. There are Neopians that live all across the world that I have the pleasure of getting to know as a person and discover more about their culture. Was this site your escape sometimes when life was going sour or just needed some time to get away and refresh? Yes, that’s me too. Growing up with this site kept me sane and whole. Not to get into too much detail about my personal life, I will say that my life growing up wasn’t always pretty and I never really fitted in. Neopets is the first place I really felt accepted, I felt the love and compassion from all of you, and support towards my goals and passions. I have not always been the best person, and I don’t think anyone really has. We’ve all made mistakes together, and we all grew together. In my 16 years playing on this site has completely changed me for the better. I will always support this website in any way I can because that’s the least I could do for the significant impact Neopets accomplished in my life.

     I still discover this site daily. There are so many helpful resources, fabulous articles and comics on the Neopian Times, and new people I get to meet and get to know. I am not leaving any time soon.

     Can you relate? What’s YOUR story?