New Tree House
Yesterday I made some changes. Big changes. I decided that, although I still very much liked all of my guildmates, my guild wasn’t working very well for me any more. I won’t hash it all out here, because as I’ve said, I still have a huge place in my heart for my old guild and the people in it. I truly wish them all the best. I just was personally getting frustrated and stressed out over some aspects of the guild and decided that it was time for me to make a change before my feelings for my friends took a turn for the worst.
Leaving the guild was not a decision I had consciously mulled over for weeks or even days. Instead, I kind of had this slow burn thing going on in the background under the radar. I was frustrated and was feeling ineffectual in terms of being able to make changes that would make me feel better. I began to stress quite a bit over something that is supposed to be an enjoyable thing to do in my free time. This is no good! So yesterday, sort of all at once, it occurred to me that it was time for me to go while I could still do so on the very best terms possible. I typed up a message to the other officers explaining my decision, logged on, and left the guild. With no plan. Whatsoever.
My next move, after being overcome with loneliness and hesitation over the decision I had already made and executed, was to visit my realm forum and see who might be recruiting. Unfortunately, the alliance guilds who were recruiting were not good fits for me in one way or another. Too hardcore. To asshat infested. Wrong raid times. Not raiding the content I was wanting to raid. Too small. Too big. It was then that I really became nervous. Clearly I hadn’t thought this whole thing through terribly well. Oy vey.
My next step, however, was the best decision I could have made, I think. I took a big gulp and started to look on the general alliance recruitment forum to see if there might be a guild on another server that would work for me. I’ve been on Duskwood since I started playing, and it was disconcerting to think about leaving. However, many of my friends have transferred off already, play very little, or aren’t playing at all any more (dammit, Hummy! You know I’m talking about you!). The majority of the people who I was friends with and played regularly with were all in the guild that I had just walked away from. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going on guild runs I didn’t think, and I wasn’t at all sure that any of them would want me to. So… a transfer? maybe?
I read several recruitment threads and had very much the same sinking feeling I had had on my own realm forum. Not geared enough for this one. This one doesn’t need trees. Oh my god, this poster is such an asshat! Sure as hell wouldn’t want to run with his guild! Etc. Etc.
But then I read a post by a resto druid who was looking for a new guild also. In the responses to his post I found something that appealed to me completely. A guild filled with adult professionals with families, just like me. They raided 3 nights per week at the hours I am accustomed to raiding in. They listed ideals that resonated with me very much. I must have read that post 5 times before rolling an alt on their server and chatting with a couple of people in their guild. They were generous, helpful, supportive, and enthusiastic. I really became hopeful and excited (although still very nervous!) about applying with them and transferring Syll off my server to join them.
I took a deep breath and started on the application. I spent a good deal of time on it, answering everything thoroughly and honestly. I sent it off.
I got a reply right away that they were going to review it and get back to me around midnight. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up around 3 a.m. I logged on and found that I was accepted! Yay! and also… holy crap! and finally, jeez they are organized! so again… yay! I took another deep breath and logged onto Syll and opened up all her mail, stripped down my poor bank alt and sent his tux and gold to Syll so that I can make another bank alt on the new server (so cruel, right? There is now a nekked gnome warrior on Duskwood without a single piece of gold named Moneybaggins! So very, very wrong!), logged out and started the server transfer. It said it might take several days. It took less than an hour. I had to change my name, as Syll was unavailble but Sylly was (yay!). So by about 4:00 a.m. I was Sylly, Resto Druid of Khadgar. That was enough for one night. I went back to bed for a couple of hours and had very, very strange dreams about the World of Warcraft!
In the (later) morning I logged on to my new server and whispered one of my new guildies to be. It turned out I had chosen to whisper the person who has been in the guild longer than anyone, for 3 and a half years. We had a great time chit chatting until an officer came online and sent me my guild invite.
So… yesterday I was Syll of Legio Vici, Duskwood server. 24 hours later I am Sylly of Apatheia, Khadgar server! I’ve been asked to be on tonight for a raid with my new guildies, and I have a ton of homework to do as they are progressed quite a bit further into Ulduar than my old guild was.
I’m still nervous. I’m still pretty surprised at my lighting fast turn around. I’m still sad about leaving my old guild and guildies behind. But, on the other side of the coin, I’m VERY excited about my new guild, my new guildies, and the new adventure that is in front of me.
Wish me luck putting down my roots in my new home turf!
There are 17 Comments to "New Tree House"
Good luck, thats pretty brave to completely hop servers let alone hop guilds. Good luck and I hope it works well. Keep us posted =).
Good luck Syll! We’ll miss you!
You will be severely missed! I agree with Ron, that was a very bold move! Please keep us posted and I wish you the best of luck!
Good luck on the new server, Syll!
I hope the raid runs smoothly tonight, the loot drops are epic, and heals are HoT. `
Psynister´s last blog ..Hunter Leveling: 1-20
Good luck in your new home!
I’m actually really, really happy with my last decision to join Conspiracy on my server around the time 3.1 came out. I finally feel like I have a good fit for me. I hope this new guild works out for you, too!
Lissanna´s last blog ..A preliminary look at resto healing builds in 3.2
Wow, what an amazing change of circumstance for 24 hours… I hope you are happy and Apatheia is a good fit for you!
/cry You will be missed very much Syll. Sorry I wasn’t on to say goodbye, too much dang studying here lately. Good luck with the raids and everything else. *RAWR* and *HUGS*
Bye Syll, you will be missed. Hope you find happiness in your new home.
You will be missed by all. GL and find a Shammy to drop those friendly totems for ya, as well as protect ya…lol
Hey, just wanted to say welcome aboard to Apatheia. I went through a very similar experience prior to joining. I left Blackrock, where I’d been since first starting WOW 3 years ago. I couldn’t find a guild on that server that fit both my need to raid, and my need to play with friendlies. I server transferred and wound up with a group of “Asshats.” So I server transferred again and got lucky winding up with Apatheia. Good job tonight and glad to have another healer that isn’t a damn priest rolling against me lol.
They call me Special K in vent, but I go by Khaleila on my toon. I’m usually the guy making borderline inappropriate innuendos in vent…. but I promise I’m getting better.
PS. Good job tonight in the raid. It’s always tough running with a new group, but you showed that you can hang.
In a way I’m glad that I’m not playing at the moment. If I were, I’d be SO pissed to log off one night, knowing you were there…only to find the next morning you no longer existed. I’d shake my head for at least half an hour. lol.
Not having an active account I also don’t have to hem and haw about following you like a puppy dog to Khadgar.
But really, I’m glad you’ve switched servers because even if it doesn’t work out (god forbid!), you’re happy NOW, and that’s what counts.
congrats on the new guild! i know its such a hard thing to do
especially when you have been in it for such a long time! but your in a new place now and lets hope for you to be happy! have fun!
SHair
Hi Syll !
I whish you all the best with your new guild ! Changing guild is quite hard at the beginning, because you leave some friends and nothing will be like it was before. And you’re never sure of what you’ll find in the new guild.
But when things begin to be awkward, leaving is best for everyone. Before you become bitter and strangely angry at your friends because they didn’t perform as well as you expected from them, it’s better to leave in good terms. If they are really your friends, they will understand.
And in the new guild, you will have to find your place, make new friends, and that’s not easy. And you will discover a new raid, new raiding habits,… But eventually, you will find out that you are much happier because you are doing what you want to do, you will be raiding at the level you wanted to, with people having the same goal than yourself.
I went through that in the past week, that’s hard. And being a dpser, it’s a very competitive environment but I raid the way I wanted to and begin to know a few people now. Be active in guild chat, in Vent. I found out that doing fun activities with them other than the usual raid is a great way to get to know them, and for them to know you. 10-mans, battlegrounds, quests, 5-mans, mailbox dancing…
/hug
Nef
Nefernet´s last blog ..Let’s frag some pyrite !
Good Luck Sylly! I hope that you found a good home and that you will enjoy your time there =)
Beruthiel´s last blog ..For The…er, Horde!
This is ridiculous – I’m catching up on blogs backwards (been away for a few days) and I’m writing my “good luck” post after my “glad it’s going well” post. I am hopefully adrift in the blogging space-time continuum. For what it’s worth, even though I don’t have all that much to keep me on ED, I can’t imagine changing both guild and server – so you’re very brave!
Good luck rawr n all that.
Oh, noes! I was wondering how much the guild will have changed by the time we can get back to playing again (hopefully only a few weeks). You will be sorely missed, my friend. Good luck in your new adventure!