Okay.

This is not something that a lot of people can relate to. But in case you are wondering, this is how I got by those raging pregnancy hormones during the isolation. I've heard a few kids play this but from what I know, this game kept A LOT OF PEOPLE (mostly adults) from spiraling downward during the pandemic. It is truly a life saver.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the most expensive game I have ever bought ($60 + Nintendo Switch Online membership worth Php350/year). But with the number of hours I have played, you can tell that it is absolutely WORTH IT. If I didn't have children and a business to attend to, I would have probably spent more than 5,000 hours with it.

A few days ago, Animal Crossing just released a major update and I have never been so excited to play a tedious game my entire life.

This is where we started.

My Island's Development

The Flea Market

My first marketplace. I remember asking my friends for donations because I did not have a lot of items.

Then I started having so much. 😅

Here's what it is now. A shopping district. I placed it along with Nook's Cranny and Able Sisters. I know my previous flea markets look more legit because of its randomness but I do like to make use of the festival stalls.

The Concert Stage

Never thought I can fulfill my dreams of becoming a rockstar.

It started from this. And I'm proud to say, I designed that stage and stairs. LOL

Apple is trying it out!

How it looks at night.

Final look before I totally scrapped it to give way for my Ramen Shop. LOL

The Bakery

This was my first attempt. But it feels off when the bakery is too open.

So I created one that has walls, with a second floor, and it's floating on a lake! (or that's how I imagine it)

But when they released the Mario items, I just had to redo it because the floating blocks are perfect. This is how it looks right now.

View from another angle with my dear Judy. 😍

The Diner

What it was before.

I'm not a fan of diners. But I created one just so I can put the robot outside. Here's how the entrance looks now.

This is smaller than my previous versions (I needed more space). That board walk on the left leads to the campsite, ramen shop, and pub.

The Pub

Because what's an island without a nightlife?

I didn't really do a lot of redecorations on this one because I have loved it from the very start.

The pub's back door leads to an alley you don't want to find yourself in.

The Library

I think I did more redesigns and relocations on this one than any of the places in the island. I wanted an outdoor library but I was always bothered about the rain. Haha. 

My first outdoor library.

One of my many libraries.

Finally kept it indoors.

The Ice Cream Parlor

Before. Too pink! Haha

Now. Too colorful! The Sanrio items are sooooo cute!

I love how it turned out!

The Surf Shop

I already loved this one but I needed more space.

For a party place by the beach (this is not yet done by the way).

So I made a 2-storey shop instead.

The Wet and Farmer's Market

The market is just beside the shore. You can also have those fresh fishes cooked here.

And dine at the restaurant that's just above it.}

Up close. You'll be dining beside a big aquarium while enjoying the beautiful view of the ocean (not seen).

The Beach

Before. I randomly placed any beach items I acquired.

Now. Those festival umbrellas really look good at the beach. Hi there, Stitches!

Other places in the island

Dessert shop! I love that this game is getting more and more food items.

The dock. One of my favorite places to hang out while listening to the 7am music.

The dock at dusk.

The Ramen shop. I love Japanese food. So I have to have this in my island.

Inspired by Alice in Wonderland because I need a place to display all those yummy desserts. Find the Mad Hatter.

The Campsite.

Small fishing area.

The piazza.

The fountain at the piazza.

The piazza at night.

Sherb and Marshal! So cute!

Riverside Café.

Picnic area.

Entrance to our little neighborhood. I can't wait for the white picket fence update!

Some random spot.

Places I built that no longer exist in the island

But I'm sharing this in case you might get some inspo from these.

This unfinished bay walk.

This avenue.

This little pond with a little picnic area.

This greenhouse.

Another bay walk. Best for viewing sunsets.

This little vendo area.

This farm area.

This football field.

That statue in the middle and the park at the right.

I also replicated some of the places I've been to. This is in Taiwan.

The shoes, denim jacket, and ripped jeans are so spot on!

Couldn't find the same flowers, so I used tulips instead.

I joined groups (Facebook, Viber, Discord, etc) that helped me in a lot of ways. Groups with people who are so generous in giving tips, inspiration, items, NMTs and Bells (in-game currency). I even made new online friends. I think one of the main reasons why I played this long, despite the nightmare of terraforming, is the community (and celebrity players LOL).

It's also amazing to see how players can get creative with their islands (especially those who can stick to a theme despite the limited content). And I low-key envy those Japanese designers who simply can design anything while the best I can do is this:

I replicated our uniform back in college. AdDU represent!

The major update has gotten me giddy to play AGAIN (I was on a hiatus for a year or so) and I think I'm going to spend the rest of this pregnancy playing this like how I did last time. I also told the husband to work harder because the upcoming paid downloadable content is worth $25 and I BADLY NEED IT.