Using my resources

In an effort to bring myself out of the mediocrity of running around changing clothes all the time, I looked at the official Second Life website's showcase, intended to show you how awesome your "life" can be if you take advantage of the myriad opportunities available. After all, the real challenge of this medium is making your life fun, and you do that by seeking out the interesting things to see and do.

So, the opportunity that caught my eye was a "Hot Spot" in the showcase called Star Journey. Description: Unleash your power and knowledge, take control of your life! Singles and couples can play your way through each journey amongst magical, power filled stars and romantic informative gardens surrounded by fun thought provoking seas.

We'll see about that. Pictures to follow.

Allie Jurassic's last adventure of the week

So, I am going on vacation tomorrow and will be unable to access Second Life for a week! What will Allie Jurassic do without me?

In my final adventure of the week, I decided to find something to assign my students to do in their Second Lives. I discovered on the "mainland," a pavilion called Games. What better way to get students interested? Well, one can sit down and play chess. Educational and fun! Get those logic thinking skills whirring! Unfortunately no one wanted to play chess with me, although I didn't try particularly hard. Here I am, alone at my chess table, having somehow moved a pawn. (And wearing my new cowboy hat and jeans and sweater outfit, you may note.)

Then, anticipating my students' more probable inclinations, I went to a beach party that I got a free invite to off of the newcomers' info board. It seems to be nighttime in that part of the Second Life universe, though, and not that many people were out partying. Plus I wasn't ready to try the challenging maneuver of putting my bathing suit on. So I retreated to some sort of tree house structure, where I acquired the new item "fruit platter," which I was instructed to "wear to begin eating!" Indeed.

So, it's goodbye for now, but I'll spend my vacation thinking of new adventures (and more non-sketchy interactions) for Allie Jurassic!

Update: Allie Jurassic re-found

After experimenting more with the outfits I have collected in my inventory, trying to get my blonde hair back (and going through a brief stint as a black girl...) I have found myself. This is my original appearance, from which I am trying to create something interesting. When I give this project to my students, I will be asking them what their appearance says about them as a character. In this particular mode, I would say my avatar is...stuffy? And, in an effort to keep my avatar looking like me, I made my feet big, and now my shoes don't fit.

I just had my first conversation! With someone named lockdown Sabretooth. I was a little intimidated, but he didn't seem like much of a conversationalist, so I said I was exploring and just flew away. Hooray for the quick exit!

Harder than it sounds!

So, after browsing "Help Island" for hours on end the other day, I finally figured out how to change my avatar's outfit. I also had a lot of help from, of all the strange places, http://www.mermaiddiaries.com/. This is some girl's blog about her Second Life work, and let me say, I have a LONG way to go before I understand this world as well as she does.

For example, I used to have blonde hair and a business suit. I figured out how to put on jeans and and boots; that was exciting. Then I followed some wacky directions and now I look like this.

Happy birthday, Allie Jurassic

So, in my first-ever experience with Second Life, I have just created the character Allie Jurassic. Apparently you are not allowed to come up with a last name; you pick from a list they offer you. Other top contenders were Allie Scrabblebat and Allie Lamplight.

I picked the first name Allie and a "starting" avatar that looks something like me because, honestly, I'm slightly terrified of the enormity of the world I'm entering right now, and it seems like it would be comforting to have myself along with me.

I have chosen to start on Help Island so I can figure out what in the world (no pun intended) is about to happen to me. We'll see what happens!