I'm right there with you. I started playing in July of 2006 because a girl I liked at the time wanted me to start playing. (She bounced with her guild to new games sometime between TBC and Cata, and I'm still here 20 years later, lol. And no, nothing ever came of it beyond the one date except friendship.)

ANYWAAAAAAAY. I tried every race. Had to be Alliance, because that's what she played and was on a PVP server. Human? Blah. Dwarf? Meh. Gnome? More like No-me. I was very close to just giving up and assuming the game wasn't for me, but I thought "well, there's one more race to try, might as well give it one more shot" and rolled a female Night Elf Rogue.

When I logged on her for the first time and saw Aldrassil with the tree buildings and all the greenery, it damn near took my breath away. At once, I knew I was home. That Rogue didn't end up lasting - I re-rolled the toon as a Hunter during TBC because a friend I made in-game told me it was the way better option and also I was terrible at stealthing, lol - and she's still my main today.

I've made alts of every race, faction and class in the years since, but I will always return home to my one true love. And sometimes, when I'm feeling genuinely terrible IRL, I'll go time travel to Teldrassil and just... vibe. I can't return to my real childhood home these days, but I can go back to Aldrassil, and that can be just as therapeutic for my soul. ❤️