oh wow you also did a toy lang? that's sick, I have to check out your source lol. I used to be a programming language grad student so I love messing around with them for everything.
Sorry that you felt you lost all your progress - you should still keep item and money so you at least don't have to unlock them again - but I get that it sucks walking all the way back to wherever you were. If this was a longer game I would try to add in a checkpoint system or something.