This week we are bringing you five Residents from all over the world who each bring their unique voices and experiences to the Second Life Blogger Network.
Lexy Nexen is the owner of Wild Branch Brewery as well as a Second Life YouTuber, where she shares her love of exploration and food. Wild Branch is a craft brewery experience, the first of its kind in Second Life. Lexy tells us it was inspired by “times in life prior to the pandemic, where being in the community of a brewery was a time to bond and make memories with friends, family or even complete strangers over a pint of beer and some good ole board games.” For Lexy, Wild Branch is a chance to “{exchange} real human interaction during the pandemic” in an environment tied to both a specific subculture and of course, warmth and openness to others.
Lexy’s websites:
Linktree
Wild Branch Brewery: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Riverbrook/76/90/31
Miwa Bunny, who has been in SL for over a decade, tells us that “during the pandemic Second Life became a source of both income and stability, I was able to make connections, meet new friends and keep in touch with all of them.” Miwa manages several brands on top of blogging, with some of her favorite aspects of SL being self-expression and connection. For Miwa, being inworld is “almost like a meditation… for my mental health.” We love to see Residents encouraging others to take care of themselves!
Miwa’s websites:
Official Website
Twitter
Flickr
Instagram
TikTok 
Aurora Mercury, a British Resident who is proud of her Jamaican heritage, is “the owner and creator of women’s networking group Sisters in SL, a community that helps women come together and network with like minded women. It allows women to meet others from all over the world and gets them out of their comfort zone.” Aurora also made an accompanying magazine for this organization, and she has a YouTube channel where she engages in “meaningful conversations with people all over the grid to discuss topics {that} allow people to share their experiences and perspectives during their journey in SL.” Aurora stresses the value of these shared experiences during the pandemic as a “reminder that we are all going through this together… it’s a different type of connection.”
Aurora’s websites:
Youtube: Aurora Mercury
Official Website
Sisters in SL Website
Sisters in SL Facebook Group
Sisters in SL Magazine
Oema lives in Northern Italy in the physical world, and for the last seven years has been writing for her blog VIRTUALITY. Oema tells us “I care about communication {and} spreading helpful information to old and new members. So together with some talented friends, we created 360 GRADI: a magazine that talks about fashion, virtual psychology, destinations, art, photography, and music.” 360 Gradi is hosted on her VIRTUALITY blog, and has become a collaborative effort with many other talented Residents, who she gives immense thanks to for all of their contributions over the years. In Oema’s words, “During the time of the pandemic, Second Life helped distract me. Even now during the Christmas holidays, this incredible metaverse called Second Life, where users can create and give expression to their imagination, is a pleasant daily fixture.”
Oema’s websites:
VIRTUALITY Blog
360 GRADI Magazine
YouTube
Facebook
Victoria James is a Second Life explorer, shopper, and blogger. Victoria first signed up for SL a decade ago and tells us “I still love logging into Second Life because there is always something new to discover. New regions to explore, new stores to go shopping at (and old favorites), and of course being creative with my own blogging and photography.” It is our honor to share that, like countless others, Victoria found something priceless in SL: “Second Life changed my life… I actually met my husband in Second Life.” They’ve been married for over four years! It is often hard to describe exactly what SL is, and Victoria puts it perfectly with, “To me it’s not a game, it’s an extension of real life.”
Victoria’s websites:
Blog
Flickr
Instagram
Facebook
Happy Holidays, everybody!
Video Production Credits:
Draxtor Despres
Have a Great Week Happy New Year