Eight Years Of World Of Warcraft

I first started playing WoW in September of 2009. My first character ever was a Night Elf Rogue and I explored the lush forests of Teldrasil in my first fifteen levels. From there I traveled the ocean-side of Kalimdor, starting from Darkshore all the way south to the desert land of Tanaris. It was at Darkshore where I experienced the grand scale of the World of Warcraft. It was also where I spent countless hours fishing, back when grinding out the fishing skill meant dedication.

After I reached level 55 I finally decided to head east, to the Eastern Kingdoms. I took the boat from Teldrasil to Stormwind. At that time I called it Stromwind; that quickly changed when I opened the map and saw how it was actually spelled. From Stormwind I headed south to the Blasted Lands where I started my journey through the first expansion of WoW: The Burning Crusade. By March of 2010 I was able to finally get Wrath of the Lich King and I quickly fell in love with the lore and skill behind Death Knights and left my rogue in the dust. I haven't deleted him and never will, but for now he sits at the tavern in old town at level 65.

With my Death Knight I quickly powered through the Burning Crusade expansion and experienced the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. This took place in a new continent called "Northrend." In Northrend there was a massive sense of exploration, adventure, and wonder that set in stone a special place for WoW in my heart. From the frozen fields of Dragonblight to the lush and vibrant forests of Sholazar Basin.

By the end of 2010 I saw the shattering of Azeroth, with WoW's fourth expansion; Cataclysm. Since I never played Warcraft 1, 2, or 3, Cataclysm introduced me to some of the back-story and history behind Warcraft. It was in Cataclysm that I was able to enjoy the fruits of Raiding. It was when I joined my current guild and where I've met a great number of amazing people.

World of Warcraft has seen so much, from the original level cap of 60, to the current cap of 90. From two continents, to five (I'm counting Outland). From eight playable races to thirteen. From a lot of stuff to do, to a nearly endless amount of things to do on a daily basis.

Here's to World of Warcraft, may another great and amazing eight years be in your future!

Here is the official post on WorldofWarcraft.com from the team at Blizzard.

World of Warcraft turns eight on November 23, and we’d like to thank our amazing community for joining us in celebrating eight epic years of adventure. To celebrate, players who log in to World of Warcraft between November 18 and December 1 will receive a unique Feat of Strength achievement and Celebration Package item. Using your item will kick off the celebrations by shooting off fireworks*, applying a (cosmetic only) tabard to your character, and granting an 8% bonus to experience and reputation gains from any enemies defeated while active.

As an added treat, this year we’ve put together a little video to take you through the years from the original release of World of Warcraft to the newly revealed shores of Mists of Pandaria. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey. We know we have.

*Use fireworks responsibly. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. If fireworks get in eyes, rinse in muddy pond water for 20 minutes, /dance, and contact your nearest Mistweaver, Priest, Shaman, Druid, or Paladin.

Here is the official video celebrating eight years of WoW:

What has been your favorite expansion of WoW? Your favorite moment? Let me know!