Oregon Trail Challenge Diary
Welcome to the Sims 4 Oregon Trail Challenge diary! We’re in a generic Oldwest setting, trying to reach the New Land on a wagon, fighting hunger, disease, rivers and growing romantic attraction to ...
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Chapter 1: Getting to know each other
https://64.media.tumblr.com/9e429a86f83cae57fe3193a771064e1c/30192680b5854ea3-3a/s540x810/e2196ec52b2a6cd3c46265b3dbca935c57c9efb7.png
It was dark inside the wagon and the women chatting made it even less inviting to Gavin Reed, so he picked up his son and stepped out, onto the coachman’s seat. With the wagon rocking like a ship, moving these few steps required balance that a city-dweller didn’t possess. Embarassing as it was, Gavin had to pause twice before reaching his destination.
Finally out in the sun, the man was greeted by Mr. Phillips snr. and jnr. bickering worse than any two girls could have:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/7bcf445edc4a942a7fd2053a4e2de333/30192680b5854ea3-25/s540x810/dea7e5d20880384a4e9737e34f54e5a1a863e996.png
Daniel: “What were you thinking, using Plum as a draft horse?!”
John: “We needed one horse, you had a horse. Where’s the problem?”
Daniel: “That she is a race horse! That’s a different skill set and in making her pull this wagon, you are ruining her!”
John: “Well, buying a third horse just to let yours tag along leisurely would have ruined ME. I do not have 150 dollars in cash.”
Daniel: “Because you never think ahead! Or care about my feelings!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/b88e3e81b7cfb88d4b5c8af057f2fda1/30192680b5854ea3-31/s540x810/d3c5c0767b77fa8371430dd273f74d88c5d7fb66.png
Daniel: “And you, Reed, you take care of your snot-nosed brat! Playing pirate is no longer fun when you go overboard!”
Gavin: “Phillips is right, little Jinny! Standing here while the wagon is moving is dangerous.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/7ce10c5e9330e6e89ff85b4a3b34d9c6/30192680b5854ea3-8a/s540x810/9576b5727036ca7c4b222de483973aec50bd8847.png
Daniel (to John): “Okay, so now that Reed is back inside, I must inform you that I’m of age and that I bought Plum with my own money. If we feel like it, we will leave your cute little trek, father! And that can happen! Any! Day!”
Gavin (to Jin): “So let’s take this man’s advise and firmly seat you, shall we?”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/bf0685686554114a98389bee88da0532/30192680b5854ea3-5c/s540x810/0a6f5c4b3ca815e99b733f394eb8ed32c80d9d89.png
Jin: “Giddyup! Tally ho! Hyah!”
Daniel: “Guess I need to thank you, Jimmy. Father fled back inside.”
Jin: “It’s “Jinny”, Mister! My name is Jin!”
Daniel: “You named you kid “Gin”?!”
Gavin: “It’s chinese and spelled with a “jay”. See, my dad’s first name is Jim, and Tina is chinese, so we combined that into Jin.”
Daniel: “Weird, but cute. The Elis Island clerks would have americanized his name, though, so I take it you are not imigrants?”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/b0f5d9269884c62fd2879ef8468986ab/bbe9481733b7c485-ce/s540x810/bed29119e20eafd3453104863c7cba78d2c6122e.png
Gavin: “Vanessa was. Me, I have scottish roots, but grew up in Detroit. - You?”
Daniel: “English, I think. We had a mine and a factory, and when that blew up around our ears, mom and dad were so startled, that they decided to become ranchers.”
Gavin: “Aren’t you a bit old to waddle after your parents, grabbing their coattails?”
Daniel: “Let’s say I feel the need to protect them a bit longer after the accident and leave it at that.”
Gavin: “Oh, my! I get it! That sweet, sweet inheritance! Professional son is a well-paying job, huh?”
Daniel: “What was in this trek for you, again?”
Gavin: “Mom in-law is getting married in Stray... oh, f-, I see. Professional son, here, too.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/841b23138b23985c8a217da0b828e4f2/e2590ce643f61ecc-8b/s540x810/b73d79cf8a6e800b71527b9fd475673d3fe9e0cd.png
The travelers took turns at the coach box. (One sim always has to drive, but that’s just a house rule of mine.)
https://64.media.tumblr.com/c46bc24b57424a61325aaef4e1250ba3/230b028c63ed4760-a7/s540x810/419505af10c73bc202ba32e9217ecd70736fde9c.png
Tina Chen normally wasn’t a friend of dancing and singing, but after half an hour on the driver’s seat she broke into song. The two families in her back had stopped mattering, as had all the other wagons in front of and behind hers. There was only glorious solitude. Perhaps, Tina wondered, she had only hated singing because it was usually done in company.
More confident than ever before, Tina looked around. The trail was clearly made out in the endlessly rolling grass. It was easy to follow. But there were also landmarks, fishing spots, little groves and more. All of this the woman committed to memory. A new dream revolved in the grandchild of sailors: What if the plains could become her ocean? If she turned back after arriving in Strangerville, returned to Detroit to guide the next couple of treks into the West, that back and forth would be a satisfying way to spend her youth.
Someone had to, so why not a woman for whom this lifestyle wasn’t a sacrifice, but fulfillment?
https://64.media.tumblr.com/234329b6393e5756190ef42faf4bc22e/e2590ce643f61ecc-f4/s540x810/51f63a9e8ac0d38d3e933179ecb618635bc20bc7.png
While Tina was driving, Daniel got into another argument with his parents.
John: “You see, Mr. Reed, you’re not the only one who brought a toddler to the trek.”
Gavin: “Yeah. Poor little Emma, being saddled with three.”
Then Daniel took the driver’ seat again.
The men passed the time playing Officer’s Skat...
https://64.media.tumblr.com/1aa92e60de06a1c1f208da829f74ffd5/e2590ce643f61ecc-f7/s540x810/fb284564146d634e9baaad24b45efde1ac360d51.png
...and in the back half of the wagon Emma and Jin were playing with a toy barn.
Next: The first stop, the first night and the first problems originating in gameplay rather than backstory.
(The censored word is a cardgame that is popular in Germany and usually played by three persons. I looked it up and it is spelled the same in english, but apparently has a suggestive or rude secondary meaning there?)
https://64.media.tumblr.com/9e429a86f83cae57fe3193a771064e1c/30192680b5854ea3-3a/s540x810/e2196ec52b2a6cd3c46265b3dbca935c57c9efb7.png
It was dark inside the wagon and the women chatting made it even less inviting to Gavin Reed, so he picked up his son and stepped out, onto the coachman’s seat. With the wagon rocking like a ship, moving these few steps required balance that a city-dweller didn’t possess. Embarassing as it was, Gavin had to pause twice before reaching his destination.
Finally out in the sun, the man was greeted by Mr. Phillips snr. and jnr. bickering worse than any two girls could have:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/7bcf445edc4a942a7fd2053a4e2de333/30192680b5854ea3-25/s540x810/dea7e5d20880384a4e9737e34f54e5a1a863e996.png
Daniel: “What were you thinking, using Plum as a draft horse?!”
John: “We needed one horse, you had a horse. Where’s the problem?”
Daniel: “That she is a race horse! That’s a different skill set and in making her pull this wagon, you are ruining her!”
John: “Well, buying a third horse just to let yours tag along leisurely would have ruined ME. I do not have 150 dollars in cash.”
Daniel: “Because you never think ahead! Or care about my feelings!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/b88e3e81b7cfb88d4b5c8af057f2fda1/30192680b5854ea3-31/s540x810/d3c5c0767b77fa8371430dd273f74d88c5d7fb66.png
Daniel: “And you, Reed, you take care of your snot-nosed brat! Playing pirate is no longer fun when you go overboard!”
Gavin: “Phillips is right, little Jinny! Standing here while the wagon is moving is dangerous.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/7ce10c5e9330e6e89ff85b4a3b34d9c6/30192680b5854ea3-8a/s540x810/9576b5727036ca7c4b222de483973aec50bd8847.png
Daniel (to John): “Okay, so now that Reed is back inside, I must inform you that I’m of age and that I bought Plum with my own money. If we feel like it, we will leave your cute little trek, father! And that can happen! Any! Day!”
Gavin (to Jin): “So let’s take this man’s advise and firmly seat you, shall we?”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/bf0685686554114a98389bee88da0532/30192680b5854ea3-5c/s540x810/0a6f5c4b3ca815e99b733f394eb8ed32c80d9d89.png
Jin: “Giddyup! Tally ho! Hyah!”
Daniel: “Guess I need to thank you, Jimmy. Father fled back inside.”
Jin: “It’s “Jinny”, Mister! My name is Jin!”
Daniel: “You named you kid “Gin”?!”
Gavin: “It’s chinese and spelled with a “jay”. See, my dad’s first name is Jim, and Tina is chinese, so we combined that into Jin.”
Daniel: “Weird, but cute. The Elis Island clerks would have americanized his name, though, so I take it you are not imigrants?”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/b0f5d9269884c62fd2879ef8468986ab/bbe9481733b7c485-ce/s540x810/bed29119e20eafd3453104863c7cba78d2c6122e.png
Gavin: “Vanessa was. Me, I have scottish roots, but grew up in Detroit. - You?”
Daniel: “English, I think. We had a mine and a factory, and when that blew up around our ears, mom and dad were so startled, that they decided to become ranchers.”
Gavin: “Aren’t you a bit old to waddle after your parents, grabbing their coattails?”
Daniel: “Let’s say I feel the need to protect them a bit longer after the accident and leave it at that.”
Gavin: “Oh, my! I get it! That sweet, sweet inheritance! Professional son is a well-paying job, huh?”
Daniel: “What was in this trek for you, again?”
Gavin: “Mom in-law is getting married in Stray... oh, f-, I see. Professional son, here, too.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/841b23138b23985c8a217da0b828e4f2/e2590ce643f61ecc-8b/s540x810/b73d79cf8a6e800b71527b9fd475673d3fe9e0cd.png
The travelers took turns at the coach box. (One sim always has to drive, but that’s just a house rule of mine.)
https://64.media.tumblr.com/c46bc24b57424a61325aaef4e1250ba3/230b028c63ed4760-a7/s540x810/419505af10c73bc202ba32e9217ecd70736fde9c.png
Tina Chen normally wasn’t a friend of dancing and singing, but after half an hour on the driver’s seat she broke into song. The two families in her back had stopped mattering, as had all the other wagons in front of and behind hers. There was only glorious solitude. Perhaps, Tina wondered, she had only hated singing because it was usually done in company.
More confident than ever before, Tina looked around. The trail was clearly made out in the endlessly rolling grass. It was easy to follow. But there were also landmarks, fishing spots, little groves and more. All of this the woman committed to memory. A new dream revolved in the grandchild of sailors: What if the plains could become her ocean? If she turned back after arriving in Strangerville, returned to Detroit to guide the next couple of treks into the West, that back and forth would be a satisfying way to spend her youth.
Someone had to, so why not a woman for whom this lifestyle wasn’t a sacrifice, but fulfillment?
https://64.media.tumblr.com/234329b6393e5756190ef42faf4bc22e/e2590ce643f61ecc-f4/s540x810/51f63a9e8ac0d38d3e933179ecb618635bc20bc7.png
While Tina was driving, Daniel got into another argument with his parents.
John: “You see, Mr. Reed, you’re not the only one who brought a toddler to the trek.”
Gavin: “Yeah. Poor little Emma, being saddled with three.”
Then Daniel took the driver’ seat again.
The men passed the time playing Officer’s Skat...
https://64.media.tumblr.com/1aa92e60de06a1c1f208da829f74ffd5/e2590ce643f61ecc-f7/s540x810/fb284564146d634e9baaad24b45efde1ac360d51.png
...and in the back half of the wagon Emma and Jin were playing with a toy barn.
Next: The first stop, the first night and the first problems originating in gameplay rather than backstory.
(The censored word is a cardgame that is popular in Germany and usually played by three persons. I looked it up and it is spelled the same in english, but apparently has a suggestive or rude secondary meaning there?)
