Trip 04 - Home Sweet Monte Vista
Back home in Monte Vista once again, I needed a little break from my adventuring. I headed over to my favorite place (the gym) and took a refreshing dip in the pool. The water helped ease the tension of travel and had me right as rain in no time. Now that I was feeling better, I thought I should meet some new people. There were lots of people at the gym, and they were probably just as sporty and athletic as me!
Upstairs, I met a woman named Adora Almeria and her daughter Marta. I was surprised that Adora was my own age, yet already had a daughter! I was nowhere near ready for children! Despite that difference, Adora and I began chatting, and before I knew it, we were finding out a lot about each other!
By the time Adora had to leave (it was getting late and her daughter had to go to school in the morning), we were good friends. We parted with a hug. I guess that Never Dull lifetime reward really helped my socializing! Oh, I guess I should tell you. By this time I had acquired several lifetime rewards: Never Dull, Observant, Learned Relic Hunter, Jetsetter, Steel Bladder, Discount Diner, Opportunistic, Prepared Traveler, Dirt Defiant, and Eye Candy.
While it was nice having a friend of my own, I was getting pretty lonely all alone on my property. An idea popped in my head, so I grabbed my cell phone and gave the local animal shelter a ring. They said they had a wonderful, sweet-tempered old gal that really needed a new home. I thought that sounded wonderful and told them to clean her up and bring her over straight away!
Everyone, meet Rose Farther! She's an English Setter and has the traits Loyal and Destructive. As we mostly live outside, I wasn't too worried about the Destructive trait; I had nothing of value she could harm and the trait can be easily altered. She really was a sweet dog, and we took to each other immediately. I had never had a pet before, so Rose's gentle personality really helped ease my fears.
Despite Rose's age, she was still very much an active dog. I decided to put her energy to good use and teach her to hunt gems. She didn't seem to be getting it at first, and I got discouraged. Then all of a sudden it clicked for her! She brought me back a hunk of metal on her first excursion. Not exactly a gem, but not bad for a first try! She could be a mighty hunter yet!
When she wasn't hunting, Rose regarded herself as a queen. She was such a dignified lady, even while she was going at her dinner! Her grace knew no bounds. Most dogs look silly with overexcitement when they hunt, but not Rose. She had learned to reign in that energy and use it productively.
Trying to get into the swing of things in Monte Vista, I got into a nicely comfortable schedule during my work days. I would work, come home and play with Rose, grab a quick bite to eat, shower, and go to bed only to repeat the process the next day. I was steadily climbing the career ladder while improving my relationship with Rose. It wasn't as exciting as adventuring, but had its own charm. By the time I had a day off, I realized I hadn't talked to Adora in a while. I grabbed my phone and we had a nice long chat, cementing our best friend status.
When I began to feel the Autumn chill in the air, I knew I couldn't be running around in just shorts and a tank top any longer or I would end up hospitalized. Adora told me that I could use the styling stations as the Salon for free to find a new look. It was nice to be able to wear some warmer clothes, but still within my same sense of practical style.
I spent a lot of my off-days playing with Rose and exploring Monte Vista. The picturesque landscapes seemed almost entirely untouched by autumn, the falling leaves being the only give away. I loved riding around on my scooter, zipping quickly through the city streets or just letting the wind blow in my hair as I wandered the country roads. The peace and tranquility were indeed splendid, but I could already feel the stirrings to travel again...
Rose was a champion at finding precious metals and gems. I wanted to have 5000 simoleons in my bank before I headed off on another trip, and Rose was working hard to help me achieve that goal. She didn't always bring back something valuable, but she was getting better and better all the time.
While Rose hunted, I worked on my martial arts skill. I wanted to be able to break space rocks, the hardest substance known to sim, which could also produce gems. I was breaking oak boards when I gained a new belt. I was so excited to show off my new belt that I didn't have time to turn to camera! Oops!
Finally, a package came with the gems that would set me over my goal for simoleons. I would finally be able to take my trip! I was planning another venture to France, where I would study a bit more of nectar-making and learn some of their famous recipes.
Nervous to leave Rose home alone while I was gone, I decided to spend my last day in Monte Vista just with her. We played all her favorite games, then I gave her coat a good brushing. We headed over to the park to play some more. I even took the time to teach her a new trick. I was going to miss my baby girl, but I knew she would be in good hands as Adora had volunteered to look after her.
Finally, it was time to go. I called for a cab to the airport then I was off on my next grand adventure!
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*Sorry for the doggy spam, I just thought Rose was such a beautiful dog! Most of the animals I get from the shelter look odd.
