The lessened class load I have been able to take on has given me more of a chance to relax outside of working hours. I have not had this much free time since the fall 2020 semester, when all classes were online, everything was shut down and there was not much to do. Something I always fell back on to entertain myself during this time was video games. 

I have always been a big fan of video games, using a lot of my free time to sit down, relax and play a game. After my freshman year, video games started to be reserved for weekends, as I would be too busy during the week to sit down and play something; there would always be some work looming over me and I would not be able to focus on playing a game if I knew there was still something I needed to finish.

I am usually drawn to playing various sports games: MLB the Show, NHL, FIFA, you name it. While the online components can be fun, playing offline with a created character makes me feel like a kid again, trying my best to make it as a professional athlete. These games allow my imagination to run wild and conjure up scenarios like I used to. I also find that if you do not take the games as seriously, then they can be very relaxing. However, there are some games that   get my heart pumping and somehow I still find it to be a relaxing time.

Recently, I have been feeling pretty nostalgic about games I have played in the past and I have wanted to dust them off to give them another run to see if they still bring me the same joy as when I was young. 

I remember seeing Minecraft for the first time when I was eight years old and being fascinated by the world of blocks and its limitless possibilities. I was all about it when I was younger, and I thought maybe I had outgrown it, but loading into a new world for the first time in many years was an amazing feeling because I was still really excited to start fresh and try to build a creative house instead of the wooden boxes I used to build.

I have also been feeling nostalgic for Pokémon, a game that defined elementary school for me. I spent hours upon hours of my life in elementary school playing different Pokémon games and I enjoyed every second of it. Loading into the game now is a little bit different than it used to be because I think I have a better grasp of the mechanics of the game, instead of spamming strong moves.

I like having the time to dive into old games; it gives me a chance to sit back and go through old memories and good times. I recommend to everyone: go back and do something you used to enjoy. It does not have to be video games, but try to capture the memories of the joy it used to bring you, and maybe that can help a little bit when you need to relax.

Photo by Alexander Kovalev via  Pexels