I've seen a few posts from other people hitting milestones, thought I would throw mine in too.

• 3 years ago today, I registered for a forum account. I probably played for a few days before that, but if I can't remember, no one else can ;) I DO know that I was coming from a smaller server (no names mentioned!) that I felt, after being a Moderator for 6 months, had serious issues with the upper administration. I stepped down, then started looking for a server that had their priorities straight. I do remember that ECC was not the first, nor the only one I played in that month long stretch, but I know ECC is where I stayed :)
• Just like everyone else, I started as a Builder, making my underground lair in the wild. After my "hobbit hole" was griefed for the 3rd time, I started looking for a town plot. Thank you to @crossfire26 for being my first Mayor and helping me earn Resident in April 2012.
• In time, I amassed enough funds that I could start looking for my first town area 3 weeks later. Back in the days when the LiveMap worked (albeit slowly), you could look for certain terrain features without having to walk the entire map. I managed to be one of the first 10 that applied for land in the "newly expanded 30k x 30k map!" that allowed Extreme Hills. Flat towns never seemed that much of a challenge, I wanted elevation change! I didn't want people living in my town, I wanted to make an Amusement Park! *sigh* ambitions
• Believe it or not, I earned President around the time ECC updated to 1.3 in July 2012.
• I've bought, with my own money, every single feature I have. Never paid anyone else ECDs to have them pay for them. Took it out of my gas money funds ;)
• I met and built with or for quite a few people back then. I remember building 3 or 4 things for @KMaxwell, contributing to the Temple of the Tree by @Lilypetals, building an underwater domed town in Aqua Yensid, age discussions with @Jetscat and numerous experiments in my Mayor town.
• Sadly, in February 2013, I had to leave ECC. Nothing anyone here did, I had some real life issues to deal with. I had decided that I needed to fill my free time with my teenage kids... and lawyers *rolls eyes*
• In September this past year, I remembered that Minecraft (and ECC) existed. I actually had to do the whole "retrieve forgotten password" for my MC account!
• What a surprise when I came back to ECC, and someone had made the "claim empty towns" rule! I like the idea, but the "start from scratch... with all the features I had bought and a President's number of LWCs" was a bit unexpected.
• Back to the Wild for me. Well, actually, I went to the Mining World and sold everything I found. Believe it or not, starting with the "starterkit", I had diamond tools and a little over 30k within 2 days. Then started searching for towns to join in the Forums.
• Lancaster (or in my case, Southcaster) was my first home coming out of "retirement". I know @jmichael214 and @eyesee3 were a little skeptical when I started. "It looks interesting... but what exactly is it SUPPOSED to be?" I heard at least once ;) Then I was given the opportunity to "build something cool, here's a corner of my new town".. So I built a castle around a pillar of rock, and met @voltair42, @Turtle_02, @Samiwarbler, @LimeCini, and a bunch of others.
• Then, some part of my brain decided that it had a great idea, let's build something BIG. So... yea. I found the schematics for the Helicarrier (from the Avengers movie) on Planet Minecraft by VISR3. With permission, I downloaded and started recreating (as close as possible) it above FarEastCaster (mine) and Summervale (Sami's) I was hoping to finish by today, my anniversary. But alas, I am 98% complete :( Grand Opening soon!
• I have met more friends such as @Nicit6, @Mission001, @kiraxo14, @cyberjackh3, @CSK7587, and a few others (if I try to name EVERYONE, someone I forget will be upset) and have more ambitions for building. There are MANY people on ECC that I consider extraordinary builders that I hope to "build" myself up to someday.

I am so happy, 3 years ago today, I decided that ECC was the place I was looking for when I left my previous server. It has always been a good place to play and lose track of time, mainly due to the Staff, but also the culture of the players.

by the way: http://www.ecocitycraft.com/forum/t...-5-year-forum-medal.111650/page-5#post-646841

Thank you for the last 36 months (minus the 18 in the middle *grin*)