Happy birthday to us: a love letter to KC

• We are our own biggest fans and sharpest critics — and we are far more than a flyover city.

Why it matters: Hearing from you has been the best part of this job.

• You write back. You meet us at events. You correct us when we need it.
• Some of you have become regulars in our inboxes, and we like it that way!

💭Abbey's thought bubble: Our first reader meetup at Afterword was the moment it really hit me that people really read the thing we put our hearts and souls into.

• Turns out it is not just my mom tuning in!

💭 Travis' thought bubble: We don't run a lot of polls and surveys (and we should more often), but when we do, our readers show up. That's why we do this — to understand our community and amplify its many voices.

Tell us what you want more of as we enter Year Two. Send us the tips you've been sitting on. Forward this to a friend who would love to read along.

The bottom line: A year ago today, we sent our very first edition of this newsletter, and we've been showing up in your inbox five mornings a week ever since and will continue to do so.

Thanks for the past year, KC.