Shared Topic: Leave of WOW Absence

I know  you’re thinking — really, she had to use a Shared Topic again? Can’t she write anything original?

I apologize for being unprolific with my writing last week. I had hoped that the thoughts would stop spinning around my head and solidify into actual sentences rather than than a jumbled mess of words. Unfortunately, I was wrong. So here I am again to bring you another shared topic while I distract myself from other things.

This week’s Blog Azeroth Shared Topic is about what you do when you’re away from the game. Nim from Ankh = Life suggested this Shared Topic after he returned from a month without WOW.

I hate to admit, but the longest break I’ve had from WOW since I started playing is probably about a week. These breaks were due to vacations, where I had limited access to the internet. That’s not to say that WOW is all I do. There are definitely some weeks where my playing is lighter. So what are the major things I do outside of the game (fun things, not work or other obligations)?

Other Games

I try to play other games sometimes, although not as often as I would like. I love RPG’s, so they are my main focus. Currently I am in the middle of Dragon Age: Origins, Lost Odyssey, and Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. There’s also quite a few others that I never finished that I need to get back to. I really should dedicate one day a week to playing other games, but I find it hard to ignore the siren’s call of WOW.

TV Series

I love watching TV series on DVD, and Netflix makes this incredible easy.  Currently we’re in the midst of Dexter.

There are also a few shows that I try to keep up with in real time (although a lot of times I watch them delayed on Hulu or on the DVR).  24, House, the Office, Chuck, Bones, and Smallville are what I watch regularly. I also occasionally get into Lost although I think it is more because I’ve invested so much time in it and have to see it through rather than that I actually enjoy it.

Food

I enjoy experimenting with cooking on occasion. My passion towards it ebbs and flows, probably relative to my stress level at work. If I’ve had a rough day the last thing I want to do is stand in the kitchen all night. I am fascinated by cooking gadgets, and we have far too many of them.

Food Network is often on in the background while we’re playing WOW, and it often inspires me to try something new. My favorite cooking show host is without a doubt Alton Brown — the science mixed with humor just really clicks well with me. Iron Chef is also top notch.

I love exploring the restaurants in our area — I get really excited about trying a new place. We have a fantastic selection of favorites to choose from, but we are constantly finding something new. We tend to eat out once or twice a week which I think is reasonable.

Reading

I mainly stick to Fantasy and Sci-Fi. I certainly enjoy things from other genres, but with so many amazing books out there it’s just easier to limit myself. Back in high school, I was a bit of a nerd (don’t laugh) and I got through about five full-length novels a week (averaging 400 pages). I basically devoured the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section at my local library. In college things slowed down dramatically and I only read while on breaks.

Currently my reading comes in spurts. If I pick up a book I have trouble putting it down, but picking it up in the first place seems to be the hard part.

I finally started this week on the 12th book in the Wheel of Time Series, The Gathering Storm. I’m a bit enthralled with Brandon Sanderson, who was chosen to finish the epic series after the author Robert Jordan passed away. Brandon’s own novels are fantastic, and I would highly recommend them to any Fantasy genre fan. I own all of them and even managed to get them signed when he did a tour in October.

I love series in general because then I don’t have to think hard about what I’m going to read next — I just get the next book as it comes along. Some of my favorites are the Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind, and the Recluce novels by L.E. Modesitt.

I would love some suggestions of other authors to try. Picking up a random book of the shelf wasn’t a big deal back in High School when I had nearly limitless time. Now though, it’s a significant investment of my time and money — I want it to be worthwhile.

Photography

I have a Canon Rebel Xsi that I received as an early wedding present from my future in-laws. It’s a beautiful piece of equipment that I don’t use as often as I should. I enjoy landscape/nature photography and hate taking pictures of people. Learning to shoot manually is a struggle at times, but I love it.  I also have fun playing with my photos in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. I might eventually start posting some photos to this blog.

Travel

My family went on at least one large trip per year while I was growing up, and it’s become something I value. I think I have the trips planned out for the rest of my life — the list is just enormous. This year I’m getting married, and our honeymoon will be to Europe — Munich, Venice, and Rome. Words cannot express how excited I am. I’m very grateful that this is something I can fit into my lifestyle.

Why WOW?

I have many hobbies, it just so happens that WOW is my “default” hobby. When I get home from a long day, and collapse on to the couch, the computer is right in front of me. It’s so easy to log on and bury my mind in the fantasy world. It has become part of my routine — a comfortable place that I can escape and relax in. Other hobbies require motivation and creativity, but WOW can be effortless. It is also far more immersive than TV shows.

I do have difficulty balancing these other things I enjoy with WOW. I think it’s something that  a lot of us struggle with. Any tips?