Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: How has WoW changed your life?

Each week, Blog Azeroth hosts a Shared Topic for bloggers to answer on their own blogs and then link to in the forum. This week, Effraeti from Effraeti's RP asks:

WoW has revolutionized my life, and I say that without hyperbole. I think you all know the big reason, but I'll save that for last.

(Note: The image above is one of my favorite header screenshots out of all posts I've written here. It really has nothing to do with this topic.)

Distraction from pain

Pain sucks. Labor pain sucks a lot. Labor pain that lasts for hours and hours and the hospital won't admit you because you just aren't ready yet and you need something to take your mind off the pain but nothing seems to work and ... yeah. But Azeroth had pretty colors and music and friends to joke with who were interested in my status. WoW got me through the early parts of The Eve of the Spawning.

Sleep aid

The Spawn never liked sleep. As an infant, she let me know that fact by crying -- a lot. But if I could catch the wee one before she went full force into her No Naps for Me tantrum, I could often calm her down by just holding her close. Never underestimate the power of a good cuddle.

But I was bored while keeping The Spawn Who Wouldn't Sleep from freaking out, and there is only so much TV I can watch. So I took turns playing Civilization and WoW. I couldn't do that much one-handed in WoW -- no grouping or much in the way of combat. But I found things to do to pass the time, which mostly consisted of crafting and playing the AH. I think I would have lost what little sanity I have without it.

I'm a writer!

I always wanted to be a writer. I was told by so many people growing up that while I had the potential to be a good writer, I would be better off becoming a software engineer because the pay was so much better. So my writing was a hobby I barely dabbled in, and I struggled to do something else I was good at but didn't enjoy.

Fast forward an embarrassing number of years to when I was desperately looking for a part-time job that allowed me to be home with The Spawn. Then I heard WoW Insider was hiring. I applied as a columnist and have been following my dream ever since. The Spawn still keeps me from writing as much as I want to, but now that she's back to school (Kermit flail), I can't wait to take my writing to a new level.

Thank you World of Warcraft, WoW Insider and all of you for helping me to finally do what I've always wanted to do!