Addiction & Rehabilitation from the Drug named "Travian" - Part 1

It was one fine night in July 2008, when even Owls slept, i was wide awake navigating some torrent sites... Whoa... i stumbled upon a link... which asked me to shoot apples kept on some heads... and since i don't leave any challenge unchallenged... i did hit all the apples... and whew.. took me to the site... MMORPG... the ' TRAVIAN '.... and i got addicted to the drug...

I must admit... it was one fascinating journey through all emotions... elation on discovering the game and hooked on, it was/is basically based on the concept introduced by Microsoft in AOE of which i was a mad fan, initial euphoria of setting up my second villa, proud when i got my first 'army', fear and frustration and anger when someone attacked me, anxiety waiting for the acceptance of my membership into the top alliance, sense of achievement when i successfully defended an alliance member and got appreciated, anger and disillusionment when i came to know that our alliance will lose the Wonder of the World race by 38 minutes...

In all the first journey was worth the time spent... and that's when it crossed the line of being a past-time hobby to an obsession.... and that's when i got addicted...

I played the next server and won it with my friend/colleague, by the way i hold the dubious distinction of getting him addicted, and by then i was deep into the drug... and i was fighting the urge to play it at work... and somehow was able to hold on....

Inflexion Point...

Where should i start breaking?

Have been asking this to myself for long(!), at least for the last few months. What do i want to achieve? What is enough? When will i reach there? How will i know i have/had enough?.


Was contemplating for the last few months. Looked around. Is getting the highest rise in salary, or getting the highest salary, the achievement?. Getting a promotion?, Buying a house?, Buying the latest Car?, Having the latest mobile?, Having a couple of Kids?, Touring the World?. Whatever i could think of, there was always a next best thing/need, aim...

Then, what should i do?. Am i getting things easily that i do not take them as achievements?. I felt "No". There was always a struggle, a hardship involved. But then, i could not answer, After this What?.