I felt myself missing playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I go through a spurt where I play daily, and then I don’t play for a month or two. I decided to return to MaplePeaks and continue working on beautifying my island. As I logged in, I was reminded that it was my first anniversary of starting Animal Crossing, and I wanted to celebrate by posting photos I had taken in-game.

Before building a full house, there’s a starter tent. I took this photo on one of the first or second days I started playing Animal Crossing. I didn’t have any cute clothes, and my island is filled with weeds. My island has come so far!

One of the most significant aspects of Animal Crossing is catching insects, diving for underwater treasures, and fishing. There’s an encyclopedia that can be filled in, and badges are earned for catching everything. I still have a long way to go to complete the encyclopedia, but I’m for sure halfway through.

In Animal Crossing, there are several buildings you can build. One of those is Nook’s Cranny, a general store of sorts. Right next to Nook’s Cranny is the Museum run by Blathers, an owl wearing a brown sweater. The buildings provide heart to the island and help generate bells, along with donating all the items that can be collected.

Animal Crossing has an Easter event where you can run around the island and collect eggs. The eggs can be used to craft Easter-themed furniture and outfits. I was wearing a green egg dress and shoes while I collected eggs. I hope Animal Crossing has a Halloween-type event because I missed it last year.

To help navigate my island, I can build bridges or inclines to make it easier to hike. This is a photo I took pretty recently. There are several options, but since I want a fall-themed island, the red brick fits my island’s aesthetic. I created a brick pathway to help match the brick stairs to the brick path.

One of the most memorable parts of Animal Crossing is the animal villagers. Genji is featured in this screenshot I took today. Genji is one of my favorites. Genji was one of my first villagers and, for whatever reason, is the villager who most often visits my home.

The last photo is the one that makes me laugh. I love how in Animal Crossing, you can carry whatever you catch in your pocket. I caught a Great White Shark, and I’m just holding it, absolutely no big deal. Every time I look at this photo, it makes me laugh.

Animal Crossing never fails to make me happy. It’s a game that I always get completely lost in.