Waking Up
JUL 27th, 2023
Hello again! A little end of summer update-and-future post before I start school back up again this August! I'll do my best to break it up a little, so it's easier to read:
Pokemon Sleep
Snorlax from Pokemon Sleep enjoying a Mild Honey Curry!
That's right! Pokemon Sleep finally came out in Summer of 2023 after being announced back in 2019! Four years... it felt a lot shorter and a lot longer than that at the same time. Either way, I was one of the few who were very enthusiastic about this game once it was announced, so to see it finally out is awesome! So far I've done about 9 days of "Sleep Research", consisting of waking up to the game's alarm every morning, snapping photos of and befriending Pokemon that come to sleep with biscuits, collecting berries and ingredients my helper Pokemon gather for me, and cooking Snorlax meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner to help it grow! I haven't messed with any of the Pokemon Go integration as of now. Here's my quick thoughts so far:
Pros
- It's Pokemon! I'm a huge sucker for anything Pokemon related, so naturally the visual elements and core concept are appealing to me. That being said, the artstyle (in my opinion) stands on its own with its simple style, endearing animations and enjoyable color palette!
- I have something to do at the very start of my day that isn't scrolling social media, which is a plus. I'd like to eventually replace this with an even less phone-related activity, but a cute game to start my day with is not a bad step.
- The gameplay loop does motivate me to get better rest, and doesn't intrude on my daily activities. I only open it when I wake up, at lunch, at dinner, and to sleep, and I'm never looking at it for more than a minute or two.
Cons
- The default alarm is very jarring, and it's the only one you have access to (at time of writing, at least! I really hope more options become available!). The sleep app/alarm I used before Pokemon Sleep had tons of free sound alarm options to choose from that were all nice on the ears, but truth be told, I only ever used the vibration alarm as it's enough to wake me up! If Pokemon Sleep adds the simple option of a vibration on alarm, my biggest complaint will be squashed!
- Speaking of my old app, that app did not count towards screen time, which Pokemon Sleep does for whatever reason. A minor pet peeve, but I like the convenience of being able to tell how long I actually spent on my phone without having to subtract time spend sleeping. Plus, if i ever want to use my digital wellness app to set a screentime limit, I'd run into issues pretty quickly.
Overall, if you're a fan of Pokemon and want to give a new alarm a try, I say go for it! Hopefully my little issues get patched out as the game gets updated, but if not, its still pretty solid in its current state!
Mental Health
Oh, the joys of being home for summer. I'm so glad I got to see my boyfriend and my brother, along with the rest of my friends and family from down here. That being said, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that this is the last time I am living with my parents. They are wonderful individually and I love them both with everything I have, but it's time for change. I'm really looking forward to getting a steady job so I can afford consistent trauma therapy, I think it's the next big step in figuring out what the hell's wrong with me and becoming a better person, for myself and for the people I love.
Moving Out
And with the end of summer comes the end of a chapter! I've been putting the rest of my belongings I couldn't bring with me to my dorm in my first year over to my new place for my sophmore year at art school! I still can't beleive i'm able to say that. "Hi, I'm Auden, I go to art school to learn how to do art to have a job someday in art!" Ah! Sorry, sorry. I'm moving in with a group of college friends and I couldnt be more excited, they all mean the world to me and I'm lucky to get to spend this next year with them <3
I'm bringing my old hacked Wii U, my various books, my mini retro Pokemon shrine, and a super awesome 6-in-1 record / cd / vinyl / radio player and speaker my mom gifted me! I tested it with my Plastic Beach vinyls and my dad's bands cd (lol) and it works great :] I'm really hoping to be able to make our little place feel like a home - not just for me, but for my friends who deserve to have one :]
Okay, okay, I won't keep you any longer than that. The next time you'll see me, I'll be moved into my new place! I'm going to miss my friends and family here so much (and trust me, I will be bothering them), but I'm so beyond excited to start this next step in my life! Next time I see you, I'll tell you the story of how I ended up getting a free bed from a drag show! Be safe, and see you soon!