Journal entry #3

    I don't know how much time I will have to write today. As mentioned in my last entry I am in the midst of moving. But it is early morning, and the rest of my family is asleep and I myself was feeling restless so here I am.

    My latest gameplay took me through Snowhead Temple, which in the past had turned me away from the game. This time around I not only found it enjoyable but incredibly straightforward. 

    There didn't seem to be any seriously difficult puzzles or overly difficult fights, and I admit I was a little agitated by the dungeon. But then I gave it some thought. 

    What exactly is going on with this dungeon? It's a tower. You start at (more or less) the base of it and you are tasked with ascending to the top and conquering it. The whole dungeon is a slow climb upwards, mimicking many of the challenges we face in our own lives that aren't complex but are time-consuming and require our continued work to accomplish. As with any project of this sort, there are opportunities to expand our horizons and really do good work (getting all the extras) or we can simply plow through and take care of the essentials. There will also be missteps. Sometimes we miss the platform after launching off the ramp and we must climb back up and attempt it again. 

    We are further challenged by the fact that once the climb has been made often we are faced with new challenges that test our ability to maintain a high level of intensity and focus over a sustained albeit usually shorter period of time. This is illustrated in the boss fight encounter with Goht. I felt a strong kinship to the Snowhead Temple for that reason. It felt to me like a pretty good simulation of my work life. But of course, such a thing can be applied to much more than simply work. 

    Following the Snowhead Temple, I made a last endeavor to upgrade my sword into a gilded blade. I'm hopeful that the increased effectiveness of my sword will lead me to a smoother encounter with further enemies. 

    I shall continue to write more as I play more. I'm finishing up this entry a few days after starting it and we are now completely moved into our new home. There is still much unpacking to do, but we are in and loving it much more than in the apartment we lived in previously. Work is also ratcheting up now though, so I will continue to write where opportunities present themselves and will play when I can. 

    All the best, - Samuel