It's been great, guys...but it's time.
It's time.
I started playing Steph on a whim. I'd never really considered having a second character before, but I thought it might be fun to be someone completely different. I picked Stephanie Kalesavich because I'd seen her and Aaron skate at 2002 Nationals and I adored them. Thought they should have gone to Salt Lake, still think that, but that's another story.
Being Stephanie opened me up to a different world within the skater world. I got to interact with the younger skaters better, and as we built up our own little Detroit world, I grew closer to so many of you.
But the truth is...it's time for me to close the door on Stephie's "life." Even moreso than when I was simply filling in the holes of her social life while she was skating, I feel so weird giving her a completely different life. The real Stephanie has left the sport, and although she may be coaching a bit, she's definitely moved on, and it's time for me to move on as well.
I'll miss giving her life. She always cheered me up, and I hope that she had that effect on some of you. I hope I did her some sort of justice, that I introduced some of you to the beautiful person that she is, and that you'll remember her character fondly. I hope.
I can't really explain it, other than to say that...it's just time.
I don't have the heart to delete this journal. I'll probably go through and make all the entries private at some point, but I'd like to keep it around so that I can read how her story developed from time to time. But this will be my last update, and I'll be emptying her friends list.
Thank you for including her in your world. It's been great.
Sending lots of love,
Someone who sort of has Stephie's big smile, but only if you squint