Level UP...and Pure Chill

Nine and a half weeks since my very first Poké Diary entry, I finally acquired 710,000 Experience Points (XP).  Everything happened right at that moment – my bag reached its limit at the last Poké Stop, "Kadabra found a candy", my 10-km egg hatched, my Avatar hit the next "Level UP!"…and then I realized at that moment…contentment.

It is the middle of the fall semester.  There is an overload of studying, college projects, full-time work, and familial responsibilities.  I am nowhere near completing my Pokédex or close to Level 30, and Hawai'i still has no access to any regional-locked Pokémon.  However, as the messaged hovered on my screen, “Level up! 25!”  I just stood there, calm, controlled, and at total peace.  Fifteen hours later, I still am not upset about hatching a Pinsir from a 10-km with an Individual Value (IV) of 77.8%.

I shared the news with my close network of Pokémon GO (PoGO) Buddies and we celebrated each of our Trainer accomplishments for the day.  My biggest reward since I began my PoGO adventure is not receiving an overflowing bag full of goodies: 25 Ultra Balls, 20 Max Potions, 15 Revives, 15 Razz Berries, an Incense, a Lucky Egg, another Egg Incubator, and Lure Module; but having such a diverse group of Buddies to share real-life adventures through our virtual fun.

As I continue counting down: T-minus seven weeks until the last final exam for the fall, I am confident all will be well as I continue to work the Black Hole in American society.   Staying afloat in Life’s Abyss comes not from my own resistance, perseverance, or accomplishments, but experiencing moments of positive interaction and growing relationships of people who continue give support and inspire one another each day.  Collaborating and working through conflicts leads to positive experiences for everyone.  There is something to gamified learning and applying to real-life situations.  We benefit greatly and develop into the very best of ourselves by combining ideas and insights from one another.