Remember back in March of this year how everything was frantic? People were on lockdown in their homes because an invisible predator floated through the streets. The world was restrained to their homes but a video game release came at the right time. Animal Crossing New Horizons flew to the top of the best sellers list and remained there for months. In that first month of release, players fought to be the first to get a 5 star island. After that however… End game wasn’t appealing. It’s been a few months and most people have moved on.
I’m still playing though! I love the laid back feel of it and the idea that you should play a bit daily. I don’t time travel and I don’t have any friends to play with so every day there’s something new to discover. And with the free updates that keep coming, it’s hard for me to play anything else on my Switch.
As August is right around the corner, I thought it would be nice to finally share my island. It’s a 4 star location littered too many trees and weeds. Most of it is still under construction but I didn’t want to change much of the original island. I’ve kept much of it as is and I’m working to preserve the original feel of it. It’s a digital space that I sometimes visit to walk around and be quiet for a time.
The villagers are sweet, never bound in place, and always fun to talk to. When one moves out I go out island hopping to find another. I never reject a villager because there are over 400 to meet. I’d like to read all their dialogue because they all have something fun and unique to say. It’s funny that I keep ending up with Peppy villagers though… I’ve only had one Cranky one too! Coco is the newest addition to the family and I’m so happy to have her!
So allow me to introduce you to Rapture.
Rapture was the name of my first New Leaf town. I named it after the underwater city featured in Bioshock. I flew the city flag above my town house and I was so happy to spend my time there. I’ve never been a social person or gamer so it was great to get into bed and play Animal Crossing New Leaf for hours. What made me sad was that I couldn’t have a natural looking town. The perfectionist in me wanted paved roads, strict structure and that left little room to be wild or free.
I wanted to keep my island as close to when I got it as I could in New Horizons. I’ve only made little changes here and there. The most structured area I have is my little neighborhood which has all 10 houses in 2 neat rows.
I wanted to keep the “town” as small as I could. The shopping district sits before the homes so that everything is tight. My favorite time to play is 7pm. The lighting is brilliant, the music is beautiful and it’s the only time I can hop on! I’ve been a bit busier than usual so after dinner is when I can play for a bit.
The Orchard Walk is another area I’ve worked. I have a long, winding path that goes up onto the cliffs for a view of the ocean. Fruit trees line the path so that if you get hungry you can stop and pick something! I’d like to fill in all the empty space with flowers but I’m too lazy to water them!
Right below this walk is the Japanese Garden. I know everyone has one, but with so many Japanese themed items, how could I not!? It’s my favorite place to hang out and is the most developed part of my island. It’s got two waterfalls and a ton of Tanabata Trees. Tanabata is a Japanese celebration where 2 lovers, separated by the Milky Way, reunite once a year. People write and tie wishes to bamboo trees in the hope that they come true. I like to think of this space as a magical place.
Many of the other locations are bare and still in progress but I love them all the same.
I made the last payment on my home last week too! It wasn’t too difficult and playing the Stock Market was a huge help in doing it. Now I can save money for big ticket items and any future stores that may come. I hope that Gracie will return! I loved her high end fashion and that Bow Hair Wig!
My house might be huge but it’s mostly empty. Right now I have the summer stuff up and a few uh… Visitors. I have a strange obsession with Sunfish! I can’t stop looking at them!
That’s it for now! I hope you enjoyed the few pieces of my island that I enjoy the most. It will never be perfect and it will never be a 5 star island and I love that idea very much. For the first time in my life I’ve allowed myself to ignore the bite of perfectionism.
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