I keep thinking there must be such a thing as the summer doldrums. Is that so? Like in the winter, you become oppressed by the cold and darkness, maybe it’s just natural to get a little tired of all the sun and hot weather. I don’t know. Things that were important are still important, but my enthusiasm is ebbing, hopes fading away. Even who I am, I mean who I appear to be — it’s all in turmoil because my new video card makes me look different than how I thought I looked.

The Open Road
I’ve also lost my disciplines during this period of doldrums, but I’m trying to recover some of them by writing my journals. I don’t want to write about Expedition #10 because it wasn’t that interesting. In fact, I’m tired of seeing so much of the same ole, same ole in recent expeditions.

Anyway, with all of these dreary thoughts and failed purposes of late, by Sunday I was feeling a rather urgent need to get back on the open road and begin exploring again. Instead of a formal expedition, I decided I’d go on a scouting mission. I thought a freewheeling scouting mission might restore my sense of adventure and spontaneity.

After studying the map, I decided to move easterly from Purple and noticed there is an extensive road system running though that region. By sticking to the roads, I’d miss many of the sims in the quadrant, but I was ready to roll and figure I will come back in the future when I regain my zest.

I made my way from Purple to the road system, and mounted Vixen. We rode at a liesurely pace though many sims, with occassional stops. It’s funny, riding along with Vixen is one of those SL experiences like dancing, it “feels” like you are there. I hear Vixen’s hoofs on the road, she snorts her horsie snorts and I’m right there. Hehe. If this had been an expedition, I’d have been taking copious notes, but this liesurely “scouting” mission was much more fun.

The further eastly I moved, I saw encouraging changes in style and before the trip ended, I approached the Linden’s sector. I now realize that I will be able to scout the entire Sansara continent in a week or two. Exploring is something that seems to settle me, and restores my hope.

Second Life Problems of the First Kind
Early in the day while I was scouting, I got an urgent IM from a girlfriend. It caused me to halt where I was and tp her over to chat. She was having a Second Life problem of the first kind; that’s the kind that have a powerful impact on your real life. We ended up talking for a half hour or so and that’s all I can say about that, but I am constantly amazed at how many people’s real lives are impacted by events in Second Life. One of the first rules I picked up here is, the feelings are very real.