I must admit, this is the happiest day of my life. It's a very liberating feeling to not have leadership duties after over three years of doing that stuff. It was exciting, fun, and definitely not a wasted experience. I tried to quit so many times and couldn't. This is a really great thing, for me at least. I couldn't be happier knowing that tomorrow I won't feel obligated to show up for Dynamis, nor will I have to lead Saturday events, or assist with Recruitment duties. I can finally catch up on all the things I
really wanted to do all along.
I've spent the last 6 months doing nothing but helping people become better Paladins, discussing some RDM stuff here and there, and that always made me happier than anything else

Really, there was nothing left for me to do in this game and everyday was just boredom of sitting there logged in while watching TV, reading a book, or playing with my cat after work.
For me, Final Fantasy XI ended up boiling down to the cooldown between days to go to Dynamis to finish a stupid sword I regretted starting and got burnt out two months ago trying to finish. Not having to do this anymore feels really good inside, probably even better than how I would have felt had I completed it. All I had to trade for this feeling was a pair of Macha's Slops that never got completed and some Hizaku Sune-Ate I got by default. If I had known it was going to be this easy, I would still have done it, just to be rid of it all.
That being said, I'm in the minority in saying that I will be damn pissed if my ban turns out to be a 72h one. The temptation to play again will suck me in again and I won't be able to escape it, I know that for certain. I got what was coming to me and I am not only a better person for it now, but I have a good deal more respect for SE in taking the moral high road. At least it shows they have some character and aren't all about the money. In essence, they probably fixed a lot of problems with the end game and a new set of players will come up and run their respective servers now. Everyone deserves an equal shot, even if they are horrible players or whatever, and I think that's how SE sees it too.
To Vajra: I've never known you at all. I doubt we've even ever had a conversation in tells, say, or any public channel. I don't know what the animosity is all about either. I know you never had the chance to experience really active, full-out end game because you couldn't get into Karasu and you clearly harbor some kind of hatred toward me and my entire linkshell because of it, and I'm not being facetious in saying that, that really is the truth and you know it. Please understand that it wasn't our fault that you made yourself out to be the way you are. Try being a nicer person and maybe people will listen to you instead of flaming you as a result of your flaming them first. Clearly you are a somewhat knowledgeable person but you come off completely the wrong way and attack others with no plain reason. All the things you said to me or about me are stick-and-stones my friend, I didn't care then, I don't care now. I always advocated against 3rd party tools and circumventing game mechanics at linkshell events, but Salvage was not an event for me. I knew that and chose my path here and I have 0 regrets now. So there's no need to flame me or anyone in Karasu anymore. Please make better use of your time this year and good luck in your endeavors, where ever your adventures may take you.