Social interactions within virtual communities are often described solely as being online experiences. Such descriptions are limited, for they fail to reference life external to the screen. The terms "virtual" and "real" have a negative connotation for many people and can even be interpreted to mean that something is "false" or "inauthentic." Research on postmodern lifestyles has questioned the relation between different dimensions of experience. This article seeks to describe how, in an online role-playing games community, the two dimensions--the real and the virtual--are interrelated and contribute to the construction of a unique, integrated personal experience that exists in the tension between everyday life and the computer world. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)