It’s been almost six months since I visited Second Life. I’d been thinking about returning for a while but last night I teleported inworld to catch DJ Frog’s show at Junkyard Blues. Right away I couldn’t get sound working, so I tp’d to Ambrosia Club but still no luck, then I discovered I the problem and returned to the Junkyard.
That’s me in the red sweater. I didn’t take a pic of my former partner.
Low and behold, right where I tp’d in I saw my first SL partner (I won’t mention his name). He had a great new look and I didn’t know what to say other than “LTNS”. A couple moments later we began talking. It was wonderful, just like old times; some people are like that, you can just talk as if a decade hadn’t just passed.
I also chatted with other old friends: Lele, Dina, Vanessa, and Frog. It was a wonderful evening, experiencing the magic of seeing old friends. Dina and I had fun talking about The Dreamgirl Pajama Party back in 2009. After the Junkyard and visiting Lele’s island, I was a bit overwhelmed. So, I went back to my Linden Home this morning and shot a few pics for the record.
That’s my upstairs bedroom. I’ve had it for years.
I played around with some hairstyles in my adventure planning room.
Last night was a wonderful experience but I’m pretty sure I don’t have the energy for making it a regular part of my day again. Back when I was gallivanting around with half a dozen different partners or girlfriends, I became addicted, so I just had to walk away. I do hope to go back more often though because catching good tunes and dancing is a unique, soothing virtual experience.
Being Yordie Sands 
That IS you in the red sweater, Yordie! OMG, it’s like not a day has passed! You still look like the same, old, beautiful, effervescent Yordie!
I’m of course sad that you’re not around SL more, but it’s nice that you’ve found a home in Fallout 4. We all need a “home” and a few watering holes here and there. IDK exactly when or how you left SL, but I can definitely relate to your story of sort of OD-ing on SL! 😛
I was massively around in 2015 for Medici University and then sort of faded out after that. More often than not, my years long projects: SL, or various RL art and other activities, don’t have formal ends. There often is not a “ok, I’m done” moment. Instead it’s more common for me to drift out of a project… drift into some new project… and then somewhere down the road look back and say, “oh, huh, I guess I don’t really do ‘X’ anymore.” What always fascinates me is that the “new project” tends not to storm in and displace the “old project”. I feel like that would make sense. Instead however, it’s typically that the old project fades away all on it’s own, and then the unexpected new project seems to rise up. Not “you were cool, but this new thing seems better.” Instead, things seem to fade and, I guess, “make room” for something new to grow and flourish.
I returned to SL in 2017 to do College of Avatar Architecture & Virtual Urban Planning. And then drifted away again after that.
About 10 weeks after the pandemic got serious in the USA, the last week of May 2020, I “dropped in” on SL. I was back at full speed in no time! 😛 It surprises me that it was so easy to leave SL, and that, to be honest, I never missed it, yet with a simple return, BOOM! I’m back in so deeply!
The vaccines are encouraging, but I’m still anticipating that 2021 will be much the same as 2020 in terms of pandemic isolation. I’m expecting to go back to some RL projects when 2022 arrives. It’s funny, this first year of pandemic isolation was easy for me. I didn’t get sick. I survived economically. Between SL and some RL Zoom University teaching, I kept busy and happy. Two weeks ago we moved into “Year 2” of pandemic isolation and I must say my mind has been thinking a lot about getting back into the RL world and various projects there. Once you pass the (anticipated) halfway point, I guess you start thinking about the finish line. Pandemics probably don’t really have “finish lines”, but there still is that sort of sense in terms of what activities are and are not safely afforded.
I hope you’re doing OK, Yordie! It’s good to know you’re still out there thriving.
Are you on Discord at all, Yordie? If you are, say “hi!” sometime: Vanessa Blaylock#5816
Love forever,
~ Van
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I’m kind of feeling that “BOOM” thing, Van. I’m afraid of getting addicted like I once was, so I’ll be cautious, but I hear you loud and clear on how easy it might be to just get back into it. I’m thinking about it. Actually, when I gave away my L$ fortune (*smiles*) I was thinking of turning of my premium membership this year. Now, I’m not so sure. There’s so much that new, waiting to be explored. And you always have something amazing going on, girlfriend. Even last night, Junkyard co-owner Dina Petty was talking about doing another Dreamgirl event at the Junkyard. I’m no longer a “REAL JYB Dreamgirl” but who knows, I might get an invite to do something. SL is so full of possibilities. That’s what it was like in 2007 when we had no idea what SL was or what it could become. Hugs, Van, from your pal, Yordie
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