I'm dying to play Pokémon Go

1 April 2014 I geeked out on pokemongoshare about Google's April Fool's joke of catching pokémon with your phone. You'll have to forgive me for using this drawing I made back then once more. I still can't believe it's reality now!

Like so many, I grew up with Pokémon. I never really liked the TV series (I was a bit too old, I guess), but I dug the Gameboy games. Pokémon Gold was the first game I bought in my life, after jealously watching my younger brother play Pokémon Red; he shared his Gameboy with me and let me train his pokémon sometimes, the sweetheart. I spent months working in the garden and doing all kinds of menial tasks to earn enough money to buy it, but it was so worth it!

Although we're both grown up now, Pokémon is a kind of bonding thing, a strong positive childhood memory and fandom that I and my brother share. Just one month ago, we went on holiday with the family to Sweden and Danmark. And so two grown ups were sitting in our vacation house playing pokémon on the Gameboy.

Now the bad news: my phone broke down last week. It was randomly crashing, quite laggy and weird with recharging at times, so it's probably for the best: I'm sure catching pokémon with it would've been a frustrating experience. But meanwhile I need to pick and wait for a new phone while everyone is having fun.

This popular gif captures my emotions perfectly

Pokémon Go has not officially been released in the Netherlands yet, but of course that doesn't stop anyone from playing it. Even in my small town, there are two gyms close by that are guarded by pigeottos.

Earlier this year I moved back to my small hometown after having lived in Amsterdam for nine years. It's times like this that I miss not living in Amsterdam anymore. I was so done with living in the big city, but now I get all sentimental when I read stories about people teaming up with strangers on landmarks I used to visit!

"There's an ill pokémon in the Amsterdam Medical Centre (one of the two largest hospitals in Amsterdam, red.) - we'll take good care of him. We'd appreciate it if you don't visit."

Meanwhile, the wildest stories are going around about people who caused traffic accidents by trying to catch pokémon on the highway. Or people in Qatar that are only able to catch Sandshrews. Or how someone parked a Clefairy called LOVEISLOVE on an LGBT opposed church that happened to be a gym. Pokémon Go is revolutionising mobile gaming as we know it; it is much like an MMO but in real life. I'm sure the hype will tune down, but until then I'm living vicariously through all Pokémon Go news. I really can't wait to get a new phone!

Did you grow up with Pokémon? And are you playing Pokémon Go? This is your chance to make me jealous by posting your Pokémon Go stories below!