where do I go from here?

[Lauraliralei 1]

I just reactivated my account after about 9 years, yes years, absence and I've found I've forgotten everything I ever knew about navigating Second Life.  Can't even find my avatar. Help?

[Rolig Loon 26,621]

Hi, and welcome home. I recommend taking off your shoes and going for a long walk through the Knowledge Base (tab at the top of this page).  There's a lot to digest. Some of it will start to look familiar and a lot will look odd, but go with it. You'll find that the basics will come back to you fairly quickly. Begin with the Getting Started articles, specifically this one: https://community.secondlife.com/knowledgebase/english/second-life-quickstart-r373/ .

The really weird parts will involve your avatar and clothing, which have changed a lot. Everyone feels that way, so don't expect to figure it out right away. Very few of us really do.  We just work through the parts that make sense and shake our heads at the rest. Things have changed rapidly in the past 5 years and they are only starting to settle down now as people are getting used to the various tools of mesh, materials, rigging, and lighting.  I have been here since early 2007 and still don't understand it all. But then, there are big chunks of RL that I still haven't figured out either.