This is a post that I never wanted to make.

I have been running The Coffee House for close to 12 years now. During that time, I've had plenty of amazing conversations; acquired a wealth of new knowledge; and, most importantly, made many new friends. It has become not only my main hobby, but also a core part of my identity: spending my entire evening on TCH feels as natural to me as breathing.

Unfortunately, TCH no longer brings me the joy it once did: it now feels more like a second job than a genuinely fulfilling hobby. In truth, I've sort of felt this way since early 2020, and I first began to have thoughts about stopping then. But I chose to carry on, for several reasons. It was partly because I was still enjoying certain parts of the board (such as the RPGs). It was partly because of all the time and effort that I'd already put into it (essentially, the sunk cost fallacy). But it was mostly because I felt I had an obligation to the members who were still here.

Yesterday, when I spoke to Nilla about how I was feeling, she urged me to stop. And she was right: I can't keep going on forever like this, forcing myself to do something I don't really enjoy any more. The time has come for me to step back, and put my own physical and mental health first.

Therefore, starting from tomorrow, I will be taking a three-week break from TCH. This means that:

• I will not be present on TCH (although I will still be on all of the other forums I frequent);
  
• I will not be present on the TCH Discord server (I will still be on Discord itself if anybody wants to DM me, but I probably won't be on as frequently);
  
• Nilla will have the 'Owner' rank (and all associated privileges) for the duration of my break. I myself will be on 'Away Staff'.
  
• While I am on my break, I will consider my future plans regarding my position in the community.
  
• When my break ends, on 3rd December, I will come back, and let you guys know what I have decided to do.

I must, however, warn you of one thing. Once I am mentally out of 'forum admin mode', I don't know how easy it will be for me to get back into it – and so, there is every chance that I will opt to extend my break into a permanent retirement. Indeed, I currently feel like going into permanent retirement – and this break is essentially a last-ditch effort to restore some kind of motivation before I pull the trigger. But even if I do retire from staff duties, I'm sure I'll stick around in some capacity: I'm way too attached to this community to just leave for good.

I'm very sorry I have to do this – but, I hope you understand. I will see you in three weeks' time.