Let’s Go on an Adventure

Maybe not in the most literal way, but instead I want to take a few minutes to ruminate on story-telling. Being unable to actually go out in the world and have our own adventures doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still seek them, and one affective way to do that (at least in my opinion) is through stories. I’ve found as I’m holed up with only myself, that stimulating my senses with things that have been written or filmed by other people has been tremendously helpful in keeping my spirits and energy up. While I was big on books and movies pre-quarantine, I’m relying on them much more heavily right now. Whether you’re also finding yourself getting bored, or struggling to stay interested in things, or even if you’re feeling anxious or depressed – letting yourself get lost in story might help, at least I know it does for me.

I myself, am not always the best at telling stories on the spot – I’m prone to tangents and adding tedious details that are really not interesting or important. I do however, consider myself pretty good at taking in other people’s stories. Whether they be in-person or books or movies or blogs or vlogs, you name it. So with even more time on my hands, I’ve been getting through a lot a of stories lately and here’s a list of some of the shows, movies, and books that have been captivating me the past few weeks:

~ Little Fires Everywhere – both the book by Celeste Ng and the TV adaptation on Hulu. A saucy tale of suburban drama, but achieved in a way that’s not overdone or clichéd.

~ Topics of Conversation – novel by Miranda Popkey. This is really well-written and spotlights conversations between women that are raw and real in a way that is seldom expressed in literature, which I found refreshing and enlightening in a lot of ways. Also, look how pretty the cover is:

~ The Rules Do Not Apply – memoir by Ariel Levy. I’m just getting into this one, but so far I’ve found it piercingly relatable right now. The author experiences something that she never fathomed would actually happen in her lifetime, which is sort of how I’m feeling under these circumstances – caught off-guard and trying to adapt to a new normal.

~ Younger – this is a light-hearted and cheeky show from TV-land (you can also find it on Hulu). The story takes place in the realm of the publishing industry, which I’ve always been kind of a geek about. It’s just an easy feel-good sitcom, which is something that’s been nice to have as some relief from the heavy emotions going around lately.

These next few are pretty well-known, but if you haven’t seen or read them yet – this is me telling you the hype is all worth it (don’t worry, Tiger King isn’t on the list, even though I did watch it all in one weekend and it’s totally worth it too, but I think you all know that by now):

~ Call Me by Your Name – the 2018 film directed by Luca Guadagnino, I just re-watched this, it’s so beautifully emotive and visually charming. This movie is an adaptation of the book by André Aciman, which is also on my to-be-read list.

~ The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – the first book in Stieg Larsson’s trilogy, and I also watched the David Fincher movie adaptation (the one with Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and the unparalleled Stellan Skarsgård). This mystery is a great way to keep your mind active and get your adrenaline pumping. I’m hoping to finish the trilogy soon and then watch the Swedish films too.

~ and most recently, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings – by (I hope you know this one) J.R.R Tolkien. I found a used copy of The Hobbit a while back and finally decided to read it (this and LOTR have been on my list for ages…I know I’m very late to the game), I got through The Hobbit quickly and immediately ordered the single-volume edition of LOTR. I’m currently traipsing along through that most nights. As soon as I’m finished with the whole thing, I’m going to binge all of the movies next. These truly are the epitome of an adventure story.

These stories have gotten me through my dark moments of feeling stuck and lonely, they allow me to get into someone else’s head for a while, delve into the lives of their characters, and go places with them that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. They’re my retreat, my safe place, somewhere I can always go, no matter what is going on in the world around me. And when I come back, I’m all the better for it, taking what I’ve learned and applying to my life when and where I can.

While movies and books are remarkable and arguably necessary right now, I also want to say that it’s still equally important to continue to tell stories to each other directly – whether you’re lucky enough to be living with family or friends through this or talking to them regularly on the phone or a video chat – ask them about their day or their thoughts and tell them about yours, no matter how mundane it may seem right now. You can still spice it up with things like playing games with them – my family has been playing Psych every so often (I’d highly recommend) – having a virtual happy hour or dance party, watching a movie together, coming up with a scavenger hunt, or going for walk somewhere new. In whatever form you can – go on an adventure.

All my love as ever,
Sam

P.S. if you’re looking for any more recommendations for books, movies, other story-telling devices, or even just someone to talk to – please feel free to reach out to me. Also, any recommendations of your own are more than welcome!

P.P.S. if you don’t feel like doing any of these things and just want to wallow right now, that’s completely okay too – Bilbo wasn’t up for an adventure either, and he (along with everybody else in the story) probably would’ve been better off if he’d just told Gandalf he wasn’t in the mood.