Roundtrip to the Nether

I don’t know about you, but this writer needs a vacation. There’s just so much going on, what with all movie premieres and Minecraft Lives. Even though I didn’t get an invite to either, I’ve still had a lot on my plate. The time has come to clear it, leave it in the sink, and hope somebody else does the dishes while I’m away on vacay!

Ever since I received an offer to visit The Nether a couple of years ago, I’ve always meant to go but never got around to it. The time has come, and I cannot think of a better vacation destination. It’s hot, it’s exclusive, and above all, it’s trés, trés chic.

I got to work on a portal near my little lake that I had crafted in case my chickens one day wanted to see what the life of a duck was. It was a peaceful spot since the ungrateful fowl never went near it, and seemed like a good start to a relaxing holiday!

Once the portal was done, the sun had started to set so I wasted no time in leaping through. I didn’t need any of the hostile mob drama to ruin the zen that was just at my fingertips. I closed my eyes and ran, ready for a deluxe sauna experience. Maybe they even had those little cucumber slices that you rest on your eyelids until you need a sauna snack!

Dear reader, my eyes did not open to a sauna as I had led myself to believe. In fact, I saw no spa-like accoutrements of any kind, and especially no cucumber slices. Instead, I was met by basalt, blackstone, and the sound of hooves running towards me.

Oh dear.

Without a second (or first, really) thought, I ran and promptly tripped. I looked down at the offending block that had caused my fall. Huh. Never seen that block before. The hooves were pounding, and without a third thought, for those keeping score, I mined it and headed for the portal at the speed of lightning. 

Gripping the mystery block like a security blanket, I ran through the portal and straight into the lake. Sweet relief! A cleansing bath was exactly what I needed. Hopefully the mystery block was waterproof. I looked down at it only to discover that it most certainly was not. In fact, it was a different block altogether.

Was that…a ghast? No way. It was too small. It was more of a ghastling! Naaaaw! Over the course of the next few days, I studied the ghastling. It was some of the most adorable research I’ve done, and I bore witness to the birth of the axolotls.

The transformation was most fascinating, the ghastling not only grew in size but in mood as well! By the time it had reached full size, it seemed very pleased with itself. A happy ghast. And why wouldn’t it be? It was statuesque! Light as a feather and with the voice of an angel, this baby needed to hit the road. And so did this even bigger baby! I was finally going on a vacation, and instead of a bougie spa, it was time for a road trip!

I promised my chickens that I would write and climbed atop the happy ghast. It was time to set sail. Now I just had to figure out the destination. Where in the Overworld are we going? Tune in next week to find out!