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New York City on lockdown feels like the sticks.
Theres not much open and not a whole lot to do.
You make up your own fun at home.
Eventually, you run out of ideas, go to bed, and start again in the morning.
But the dark-horse candidate for most satisfying quarantine-month(s?)
distraction so far isAnimal Crossing: New Horizonson the Nintendo Switch.
You blow into the neighborhood and set about making connects and growing the local culture and economy.
This all seemed drab to me for many years.
Youre on an island passing time by doing right by all the locals.
My settlement calledUptown, of course is a pocket universe where nobody disagrees, fights, or dies.
Everyone serves a purpose in the grand scheme of things.
The weeds wont uproot themselves, and the local wildlife needs someone to do all the cataloguing.)
Youre encouraged to spend your day outside.
Nature is unpredictable but rarely chaotic, as long as you dont test spiders and wasps.
The characters are memorably quirky, as is the swag.
I met a seagull named Gulliver (he travels!)
Its also constant busywork, and thats the mechanism that works best for me when anxiety ramps up.
(My museum and revamped shop should be ready.
I really put in work this weekend.)
More importantly, Uptown doesnt fall into chaos when I look away.
Maybe Ill come back to a few more weeds later.
Im off the fence now.
These little animals are improving my quality of life.
(Just as Im improving theirs.)
