Rainy Day Crossing: A Watershed Moment

Not quite two months into the game, I was getting annoyed that my game kept giving me the same items and DIY's, over and over again. I still didn't have simple panels, and anyone who knows anything about ACNH before the 2.0 update knows that simple panels were 100% necessary to make fake buildings.

There was also the issue of only having access to one colorway of each item. I wasn't comfortable trading items with strangers, and didn't know anyone in real life that could help me add items to my catalog. I was feeling really frustrated...all this time I was playing the game "right" (not time traveling, not going to treasure islands), only to get the same items in the same colors with no end in sight! I wanted to build, I had so many ideas...but I just couldn't get the items!

I knew I needed to do something drastic or I'd burn out trying and failing to get items every day and never getting to build. I learned about "catalog islands" and worked up the courage to go to one. It was hands down the most fun I've had playing the game (the island and the host were SO nice and it was all really exciting!), and when I got back to my island, I was able to purchase any item in the game in any colorway. AND, part of visiting the island was that they let you fill your entire pockets with bells, which I had mixed feelings about (I had dutifully and enthusiastically earned every bell up until this point), but was a nice bonus.

This was a watershed moment for me. I felt so free, so excited to design! It was overwhelming and awesome and I finally had simple panels and life was amazing! Now I just had to get designing...which was harder than I thought it would be! And yet, I loved it from the very start and being bad at it only made me want to get better.

I should clarify...I think I was okay at designing, even early on...but I had seen so many mind blowing ACNH builds on YouTube and Instagram...I had very high expectations for myself and I fell so far short of them at first.

But I kept at it and started getting the hang of it and really loved the process of designing and seeing my ideas slowly come to life. The surf shop was the first build I really liked! The little beach bar would have been awesome, but...alas...I didn't have the coconut juice recipe.