How it all began
Around 11 months ago, I joined Second Life, but not for the usual reasons that most people join. My intentions were far different. You see, for years, I'd been trying to improve upon my art skill. Realizing that the SL avatars were both fully poseable and customizable, I could dress my avatar in simple outfits and use it as an art model for figure drawing.
The funny thing about this is that the art project thing never took place. Now that I had my avatar - a default one with red hair and blue eyes - I decided to explore the world and learn more about the inner workings of SL and being a Resident.
Weirdos and stalkers
In the beginning, things were, for lack of a better word, bizarre. I met a series of strange people, all of whom seemed friendly, but really turned out to be stalkerish creepos. One such person had me follow him around for some reason, with his girlfriend in tow. When I tried to engage her in conversation, she was anything but forthcoming. The guy himself quickly became infatuated with me, which I don't think sat very well with his girlfriend. I eventually had to block him because he was just getting to be too weird for my liking.
Later on, I met another guy who seemed nice, and was less stalkerish than the first person I encountered. He was convinced that I was Scottish because of my red tresses, but the truth is that I'm not. In fact, I'm actually Canadian. He would often comment on my wardrobe - you can see a sample of that above - and while some of his comments were nice, the rest seemed to be a bit lewd and distasteful. He too was eventually defriended and subsequently blocked.
Friendship 1.0: The rise and fall of Sophie Leone
At this point, I was still very much alone, and I had nowhere to live. My de facto "home base" was a random field somewhere, and I spent my time wandering aimlessly instead of practicing figure drawing. Eventually, I found a newbie group called NCI, where veteran Residents provide advice, information and support for new arrivals. I highly recommend this group, as the people there are truly dedicated to helping newbies navigate through this often confusing virtual world.
One day, I met a person there named Sophie Leone. She became my first real friend on Second Life. At the time, she was offering free housing for newbies in an apartment complex that she owned. I immediately too her up on the offer, as I was tired of "living" in a random field. The apartment was small, but quaint. I finally had a little place that I could call home. But these accommodations would not last for very long.
Eventually, Sophie would have to move her operations elsewhere. I think the main reason was because she couldn't afford the land fees. This would happen at least four times, but I remained faithful to her because of her generosity. Sophie would later provide me with many great things, including a new hairdo - you can see it in the picture at the top - and an AO, as the avatar's default movements were jerky and robotic.
Unfortunately, as nice as Sophie was, she eventually had to quit Second Life for good. Her generosity came at a heavy cost for her, and in a final note she sent me, she said that it was driving her into real-life financial ruin. So I was alone once again, but not exactly homeless. The little house Sophie built especially for me is still standing today, and I've since been back to visit it at least once. It's currently for sale, but there have been no buyers as of this posting.
Friendship 2.0: Playing for keeps
One night, out of sheer boredom, I decided to visit an all-girls club called Secrets of Her. Based on what I read about it, it was one of the most popular all-girls clubs in Second Life. I decided to take a chance and visit. I wasn't expecting very much to happen, but little did I know that I would be leaving Secrets with a lot more than I'd bargained for.
Almost immediately after arriving there, a random girl asked me if I'd like to dance. She was tall and slender with auburn hair and tanned skin. I was hesitant at first, but I did eventually say yes. Her name was Cinthia - first time I'd ever seen that spelling of that name - and she, like me, was relatively new to Second Life. I had never danced with someone of the same gender before, both in RL and SL, so it was a new experience for me. But I actually enjoyed it, and so did Cinthia. We friended each other, and promised to speak - and dance - again soon.
We did dance again. Many times, in fact. And we had many great discussions as well. Cinthia, like me, had also experienced problems with male Residents, so she decided to focus solely on womenfolk from there on in. I saw no harm in doing so myself. I wasn't looking for a serious relationship, but I was glad to have a friend who I could talk to about things at virtually any time. Naturally, she felt the same way.
Revestel family values
One day, Cinthia signed on to SL with wonderful news - she had been adopted by a veteran user as her daughter. I was happy for her, as you might expect, but I got a big surprise when I was invited to meet Cinthia's new adoptive mother, whose name was J. Tylar Revestel. In RL, that might be a good name for a lawyer, but on SL, Tylar is a loving matriarch and business manager. The three of us had a long and insightful discussion about many things that evening, and when all was said and done, Tylar extended the same offer to me that she had made Cinthia not long before - she wanted me to join the Revestel family.
At first, I was hesitant about joining. I did not know what to expect. I was also taken aback by the fact that after just one chat, Tylar thought that I was worthy of joining her family. I didn't know it back then, but as Cin would explain to me later on, Tylar had the power to see the good in anyone, even after speaking to them only once.
It took some time, but I did end up accepting the offer. Henceforth, Tylar became Mom, and she has been extremely supportive towards us. I often refer to her as our "Wise Owl," as she provides us with fantastic advice and life lessons on a daily basis. She is very well-read, and only wants the best for her girls. Not only does she provide the best TLC that a Resident could ask for, she also provides her daughters with shelter, safety, and security, all of which are very important for survival in this world.
The Revestel family eventually expanded significantly. In addition to Cin and myself, Mom eventually adopted eight additional young women. We have a huge family now, but the love we share has been stronger than ever. We've stuck together through good times and bad, sickness and health, and we've even had a few weddings. Cin went on to marry a wonderful young woman named Sepheria - Seph for short - on Oct. 26, 2012. The wedding was one of the most beautiful and meaningful events I'd ever been a part of, and it had a profound effect on all in attendance. I can tell you that there wasn't a dry eye in the house at the wedding, which Mom officiated.
My Second Life today
You know, it's hard to believe how far I've come during almost a year in the virtual world. Who knew that a lonely redhead from Canada who lived in a random field would eventually join an awesome family? I have learned so much during my time as a Resident, and as you can expect, I am extremely grateful for the experience.
But my story doesn't end there. As time progresses, I'll likely have more adventures, and I'll learn more from my friends and family on SL. And when these things happen, I'll be using this blog as a forum to share them with you. Whether you're one of my relatives, or you're just browsing, I invite you to stay tuned as I document my Second Life.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you soon.
Love,
-Nadie.
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What I'm wearing
Hair: ^;^CaTwA^;^ Lamar V3 Hair/Pumpkin
Glasses: SimpleBlackEyeglasses S
Earrings: {Hatpins} Star of David Earrings
Shirt: Professional Avatar Blouse White (Came with my default avatar, but I still wear it. Name seems to be a bit of a misnomer, though, as it looks more pale blue than white.)
Jeans: *COCO* LooseStyleDenim Paris Blue (I have far too much love for these; more on that in future posts.)
Underwear: [aberrant] Skeletor Boy Briefs (I always wear these colourful boy briefs. I absolutely love them. Again, more on that in future posts.)
Socks: Socks (White) (Came from a set of random freebie clothes I got from somewhere.)
Shoes: *LP* Swift Sneakers
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