In High School, I stumbled into a interesting hideout: Cybertown. If the Secret Garden promised a new life, flowing with fresh water and filled with the sound of birds' songs, then Cybertown was my Secret Garden. Its water represented knowledge, while the songs represented the chatter of new friends.

When I first joined Cybertown I never expected to stay long. I remember sitting in the plaza overwhelmed by the non-stop chatter. I knew that I wanted to know more, but I didn't know where to start. That's when RACERS_WIFE88 took me in and helped me find a home and a job.

Little did I know, but that first job was the beginning of a life changing adventure. As part of my job I began to learn HTML, which seemed like a puzzle to me. Once I mastered it I was thirsty for more of that fresh water of knowledge. I started to read many programming books. It started out very simply and grew into a big hobby. With practise, I was motivated to create websites for different clubs in my university, and for my friends.

Even though I thirsted for knowledge, it was really my many friendships that kept me coming back to CT. I met new people and deepened my relationship with old friends. Again, I hardly expected to make any real friends, but I made them nonetheless. I recall the many gatherings we had while we met together and played in our 3D houses. My friendships in Cybertown helped me to discover myself in a new way, and to find a new way to relate to people which carried over into "real life" as well.

It has been a long time since that first visit, but my thirst for these waters has not been quenched, and my desire for the sound of friendly chatter has not faded. I find myself venturing into new fields, like journalism, and I still find myself hanging out in chat to meet old and new friends. My Secret Garden has lasted much longer than I had hoped.