I've become a total Second Life addict in the past month, so I thought it was about time to start writing things down and share my journey. Like many, I was curious and signed up to become a Second Life resident. I wasn't expecting much. I really loved playing the SIMs, so I thought this might be a fun game for a little distraction. My initial perception of Second Life was TOTALLY wrong! This is no game... this is virtual reality! My Second Life has really become just that, a second life.
So you're probably asking yourself, "what the hell is Second Life anyway?" To quote them, "Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents." So what does that mean? Maybe you've read about it or saw it featured on the Today show. Is it a game? Is it like World of Warcraft? Is it a chat program? Is it like the SIMs? Well... sort of. Read this article for more info, there's way too much for me to explain here.
Second Life is so much more than just a game, it's truly a second life. Everyone can sign up for basic account for free and become a "resident". In this world you create your alter ego, "in world" as they say, its called your avatar. So being the tech savvy chick I am, I signed right up and got to work on creating my avatar. As a newbie, you're given a basic shape with simple hair and clothes, but I found that as you walk around the world, this appearance utterly screams noob. So the first thing I did was set out to create a really hot av that looks just like me, of course *wink*. I decked out my av with the hottest shape and skin I could find, only the best for a diva! I bought clothes from the hottest SL designers, got the most fabulous hair, and the most to-die-for shoes. My avatar was ready to prowl the Second Life virtual jungle.
With my sexy alter ego raring to go, I headed out into Second Life. I started out wandering about, exploring the land, trying to figure out what to do. I found my way to a beautiful island, where everyone was laying out at the beach, enjoying the shining sun. I put on my bikini and joined the fun. The graphics in Second Life (SL) are amazing. Sure it's a bit cartoonish, but the residents are creating more and more realistic things everyday. I sat on the beach watching the waves roll in, listening to the breeze blow through the swaying palms, overhearing people play in the surf. This was truly paradise. I was sitting at my computer, yet I really felt transported to another world. This was a best mini vacation I had had in years. I was getting hooked on this SL lifestyle. I kept wandering around finding more fun and interesting things to do. A big part of the world is interacting with other people. As I wandered around I found that everyone I chatted with was EXTREMELY friendly. Everyone seems eager to help each other figure things out, like how do I use the program or where can I get new clothes for my avatar or what is there to do. I think the friendly people of the world are totally over-represented in SL. Surprisingly there seems to be many people from all over the world. Being from the US, I was expecting it to mostly be Americans, I was wrong. I've talked with people from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and China (to name a few). In fact, I don't think I've met anyone from the US yet.
Does this alternate reality sound too good to be true? Maybe. Everything is owned by the residents, so things can get pretty wild. Imagine a world with no rules. This environment really brings out the best and worst in people. You must have your blinders on if you're abject to the adult industry. SL is riddled with escorts, strippers, porn, and sex, but it's pretty easy to avoid it if you want to. One thing I've found is that it's easy to be brave in SL, no one knows who you really are, right? Complete anonymity. I surprised myself and ended up working as a dancer in a bar for a bit, earning a little bit of money (the world has it's own currency that you can buy with $USD or get a job and earn it like real life - the exchange rate rocks, so you get a lot for your buck). When in my real life would I ever dance in a bar? Never! But it was fun! I was surprised. I find I'm doing things here I would never do in my real life. It's so much fun!
The world is organized into islands. It's easy to get around because you can teleport to specific places with the touch of a button. Wouldn't that be nice? The islands are owned and run by the residents, often having some kind of theme. They have shopping malls, night clubs, casinos, race tracks, island resorts, you name it. The themes can get a bit extreme though. There are even Goth lands, where everyone is dressed in black and acts accordingly. They have islands with role playing, where people dress up and act out some scenario like Medieval times or ballroom dancing. I've seen groups where everyone pretends to be vampires. If you can think it up, you can probably find it. There is something here for everyone. Since it's a resident run world, anything goes. You can even get in on the action and buy an island for yourself. But it will cost you. It's about $1700 US to buy one these islands. Ouch! Don't think I'll be buying land anytime soon. But here's the up side - you can rent. I've done just that. I rented a beach front bungalow in my Second Life all for the cost of... about $1.50 a week. Not bad for my own little slice of paradise, huh? Why would I want to rent a house? I don't know, it's a fun little escape from my real life. I've been busy decorating my little home with things like a hot tub and fancy stereo equipment. All the things I don't have in real life.
But what I find truly amazing is that my avatar is becoming more and more real everyday. I find that she is becoming me, and strangely I am becoming her. As I interact with people in SL, of course my real life personality gets intermingled with my av's personality. But the really strange thing is, I find myself doing things in my rl that I'd never done before. I seem more confident all of a sudden. Where did all this confidence come from? My av is really imparting something onto me. Somehow this SL diva is turning into an RL diva! Amazing!
Like I wasn't busy enough with my real life, but I got a second job for my second life. Everything in Second Life costs: clothes, hair, skins, shapes, furniture, et., etc., etc. I was pumping real money into Second Life to support my diva spending habit, but enough was enough, I needed a job to earn back some of my rl hard-earned dollars. So what can one do for work in Second Life? Wow, lots of things! The possibilities are endless! I've seen dancers, DJs, clothing retailers, animators, event planners, even lawyers, you name it! Some people opt for the camping option. That's where you sit in a chair in a busy casino or dance on a dance pad in a crowded nightclub and earn Lindens just for being there. Sounds great, right? Free money? Nah, nothing in life or even Second Life, is really free. Camping is so totally boring! I did it for a few days as a newbie, but it got old really fast. No I needed a quicker way to earn some real cash! I ended up getting a job as a dancer in the hottest dance club in all of Second Life: Bad Girls Dance & Fetish Club. I know what you're thinking - naughty girl. How right you are! LOL. So what does one do as a dancer in a virtual night club? You're pretty much a club greeter, welcoming people into the club, keeping up the chat, and making sure everyone is having fun. The pay is OK and you earn tips in addition to your wage. The better you are at socializing the bigger your earnings. I was having so much fun dancing and chatting that in a few weeks I was promoted to event manager. So now I get to host events at the club, picking events I think will bring the crowds in for some good fun. I'm having so much fun at this job that it doesn't even feel like a job. Wouldn't that be great in our real lives? I wish!
