Just finished Codeforces Round #529 (Div. 3). Tried my best and only answered 2 questions (though on a good day, I would've had the 3rd one. Stupid TLE).
Thank you to all the problem-setters and all others who contributed to this contest as well as all the other contests of the past. I remember the first time my younger brother showed me competitive coding while I was taking my data structures class (5 months ago). I told him, "This shit seems so stupid. I'm not gonna waste my time with this." A month after the class, I was almost exclusively doing competitive coding.
I think if this platform didn't exist, I would have lost my passion for coding, and it would have been very likely that I quit. I've done my share of drugs in the past, and honestly, nothing is more exhilarating than getting your solution accepted on 1 try and locking it with confidence.
The community here is amazing. Once I get better, I hope to contribute to the community that I love. Sucks that I can only say thanks to show my appreciation, wish I can contribute in some way. Anyways, happy holidays!