Waiting for a Pod in Serpentata
Real life and virtual life calls for resilience and hopefully graceful adaptation to change.
My learning of the suspended operations of the YavaScript Mainland Pod Tours was received from Inara Pey’s blog, and Second Life Newser, after I’d noticed chatter in the Pod Riders group. In the photo above I’m sitting by the road on a Linden bench in front of a newly constructed parcel in Serpentata that a friend and I are renting from Xiraz.
Waiting for a Pod in Rosieri
This weekend I’ve done a casual photo shoot of mainland parcels where I create spaces, almost always in collaboration with others, focusing on parcels on Pod routes. There is often seating near the road/tracks/water from which to leap up and jump into a passing Pod.
The Rosieri parcel belongs to a land group owned by Kate Silver.
Waiting for a Pod in Shipton
All these parcels were selected with travel in mind. The Mainland is where I first began to find value in, and also to feel more safe in the virtual world. Traveling on a route, I’d pick up landmarks to places that looked worth exploring, or I’d stand up and poke around immediately. The Shipton Rest Area by the SLRR is owned by Vera Ruchames, and created by Klaus and me.
Waiting for a Pod in Jiminy
This route is in the snowlands on Amundsen Road. When we were alert enough, we could hop in a passing Pod from this distance. Sometimes we’d have to fly to catch up or teleport the other avatar. Fortunately, there’s a rez zone in front of this parcel.
It’s easier to type conversation when riding.
Waiting for a Pod in Aglia
Most of these favorite parcel locations were found while traveling via YavaScript Pod. Here, the trains were often noisy enough to hear them arriving in the area. Aglia Station is nearby, so we can still rez a trolley. Sometimes other avatars will catch a ride in trains we’re driving.
Waiting for a Pod in Hookton
For years the 2Girly Shop in Quentin was located close to the road where the background buildings in the above photo are now. There were two old rocking chairs out front. I’ve rented a tiny Markland parcel nearby, and rezzed two chairs. A notecard can be found in the telephone with landmarks to mainland destinations.
When collecting the pics for this “album” I was amused to see that a lovely fresco I’d made several years ago has now been tagged.
Waiting for a Pod in Erzulie
Sure, we can still ride horses, or wearable or rezzed vehicles. I enjoy that, and sometimes it takes too much energy and attention.
Waiting for a Pod in Baddest
I love the mainland. As a friend has reminded me, not everyone wants to live on Bellisseria, and spend all their time in clubs or shopping. In my more cornered moments I would add or “dating”, or supporting the art careers of others non-reciprocally, or being distracted with Straw Men after expressing an opinion.
Waiting for a Pod in Sedge
When a topic of conversation would come to a natural end, it was fun to leap off this rooftop onto a passing Pod. There is a nearby YavaScript station that was operational on Friday, and I believe they will continue to be functioning.
Checking the land description on this parcel, there is evidence that the graffiti on the front of the villa, in a place we were unlikely to see it, has been there since July. Exploring the Mainland this weekend, we noticed a quite a bit more tagging, and I hope this does not end badly.
Waiting for a Pod in Crameri
The Crameri parcel is a Markland rental where I set up a park on the ground and an exhibit of Hilma af Klint art in the sky. There were Pod routes going in both directions.
Walking through the Wandaland Port across the road in Alcis, I could sip champagne outdoors and wait for a boat going by in either direction.
Waiting for a Pod in Montara
The 512 plot under the Hooper Bridge had just been listed for sale as Kate Silver and I rode by in a boat. In addition to boats going by in both directions, there were routes on the bridge road just a few steps away.
Waiting for a Pod in Spini
There isn’t roadside seating on my small rental (Xiraz) in Spini, but vehicles can be rezzed on the parcels on both sides. I haven’t noticed the improvements in sim crossings yet; I’ve experienced substantial crashes and lag the last few days which might be my internet connection.
Waiting for a Pod In Wetas
I respect Yavanna Lianfair’s decision to choose her health first. As someone who lives with neurological and fatigue issues, I tend to believe in simply taking someone’s word for it when they say they need and want to take better care of their health.
The rental (Xiraz) in Wetas has a seat cushion near the road, as well as tai chi balls (transparent) in the yard.
Waiting for a Pod in Taeniatum
Elle Thorkveld’s Cultured Goats Gallery is close to the High Mountain Road in Taeniatum, one of my favorite roads for horse riding. And sometimes Pod riding. I exhibit some art there and Klaus and I have also set up a Last Drop Cafe.
Waiting for a Pod in Spike
Pod watching seating in Spike took a bit more work to construct. The vehicles would pause for the sim crossing in front, giving an avatar a few seconds more time to scramble.
Waiting for a Pod in Ambulyx
The boats would go by in one direction here, the direction where it was easier to notice them arriving.
I don’t multi-task well, and when I’m sitting and working on something I sometimes get incoming IMs in which the conversation takes some time to conclude. A pleasant solution is often to hop into a Pod to entertain the other part of my brain not involved in the chat.
Waiting for a Pod in Patagonia
Here we could drink and socialize, then go for a ride if we got restless.
Waiting for a Pod in Rosewood
In Rosewood the Pods would go by very fast and more often than other places, sometimes aiding an altered sense of time. There’s a coffee shop on the ground, and an art gallery in the sky exhibiting the works of Hedda Sterne and William H. Johnson. This land is rented from Markland.
Waiting for a Pod in Eschen
My friend and colleague Klaus and I created a small roadside park in Eschen for salsa dancing and hanging out. An avatar can currently walk down the hill over abandoned land to SH Tutti Creations gallery. It is a short ride to and from Rosewood.
This “album” of very current photos showing the importance of mainland traveling to my virtual life has 19 pictures! This is in addition to all the spaces made by friends, acquaintances, and strangers that I can arrive at by means other than via teleportation.
I’m unable to foresee when this will be resolved. I’ll continue to enjoy my favorite projects, engage with my good, kind friends, and explore the interesting, heart-warming and sometimes ridiculous parcels on the mainland.
Million Happy Endings 