I swore I wouldn’t do it. I knew I didn’t have time. My current life seemed to fill my life adequately. And, to be perfectly frank, I thought it sounded stupid. But this weekend I decided to take the plunge and join Second Life.

I figured I was probably being judgmental – how could over 1 million people be wrong? And, some of my friends, seemingly reasonable people, had jumped into their ‘second” lives without a look back.

So last night I started building my Second Life. It took me 33 years to build the one I have, but within 30 minutes I had built a new identity – Stormcat Crimson. Pretty cool, eh?

I found the process of building Stormcat to be really enjoyable. Would she look like me or totally different? Does Stormcat wear practical shoes and a business suit or is she a hottie in a tight skirt and tank top. Is she blonde, brunette or something more extreme? And, does green skin go with the chosen hair color? I won’t even talk about how much time and effort can go into perfecting your body shape.

I ran through the tutorials pretty quickly – I learned how to walk and run, but found that I really prefer to fly. Then I was transported to the mainland, ready for adventure.

There were a couple of places I knew I wanted to visit. Podcast Pickle, the forums I regularly visit, own an island, and one of the aforementioned reasonable people had established his new company’s headquarters within Second Life. My husband, intrigued by my activities, also decided to sign up. So Stormcat was soon being accompanied by a hot blonde guy named Gunther who insisted on wearing only a pair of tighty-whities.

As we wandered through Second Life we met a few people – a very nice feline-faced woman who admitted to being a Second Life regular, a group of frightening looking folks at a haunted house and several newbies.

But here’s the thing…. I have visited Second Life twice and I just don’t get it.

First, there may be over 1 million people registered, each time I’ve visited it has been like a ghost town. A few people here or there, but it is hardly the madhouse I expected. Also, the graphics are terrible. The speed may have been a problem because both Steve and I were online, but the quality of the graphics was disappointing. The people look clunky and the landscape is boring. It’s also really quiet. Some areas have music playing, but the interaction between residents is by text messaging.

My husband joked about the possibility of having sex on Second Life – something that is allowed in specific areas (I think). I looked at him and said “If we’re going to have sex, I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be in Second Life!” And, as I think about it now, I’ve come to the conclusion that my initial reaction to Second Life hasn’t changed. If I’m going to take the time to experience anything in my life – drink a beer, go to a concert, talk to a friend, have sex – I’m going to make the investment in my real life.

I’m sure I’ll visit Second Life again – but I just don’t see myself giving up on real life for a virtual one.