Netflix and Boredom

Logo of Netflix Company

If I was forced to name my biggest vice, I wouldn't even have to think twice (gotta love a little rhyme to open up a post).  My addiction to Netflix is a bit of an issue.  I'm watching Netflix while I'm getting ready every morning.  I'm watching Netflix as I'm eating lunch. I'm watching Netflix right now. Streaming services like Netflix make it easy to have entertainment at your fingertips. But it comes at a price.  My patience has suffered since I joined the millions of other customers who are constantly watching their favorite sitcom. Instead of waiting a week for the next episode of Scandal, with a simple click I can go through three seasons in one long, extended sitting. 

Is America's obsession with Netflix a representation of our obsession with technology and the constant need to get whatever we want, when we want? Our culture has lost its ability to wait. In grocery store lines, people tap their feet and let out loud sighs. In heavy city traffic, the car drivers rub their faces in frustration and flip through the dial in hopes of finding anything to cure their boredom.  

Boredom. 

Why do we hate it so much? Is it because our lives are really so busy that we cannot spare even a moment? Being bored means that you are alive.  You have the luxury of possessing a single moment to yourself; a moment when you don't need to be preoccupied. Consider yourself lucky!

Maybe we should all take our eyes off our smartphones for just one second.  We can embrace "boredom" and be pleasantly surprised by what can come from it. My English class watched an amazing Youtube video, linked below that touches upon the reality of our reality.

Will I stop binge watching Netflix anytime soon? Probably not. But when I click to the next episode I will be aware of what I'm doing. Don't let yourself become dependent on technology to save you from boredom.  Boredom isn't that bad. Not one bit. 

xoxo,

Royse. 

Vacation 2K14- Part 1

Every year my family would take the ten hour drive from Pittsburgh to Topsail Island, North Carolina. This year, the plan changed. I'm going to college in the fall, and I hadn't seen much of my own country. We wanted to go on a trip that would allow us to see as much as possible, the highlights and the best of the best.  It just so happened that my cousin was getting married this June! In Maine!  I've never been to the Northeast, so after weeks of planning and sketching travel routes, we set off on the Roadtrip of Summer 2K14.  

The schedule of events:

-Portland, Maine

-Acadia National Park

-Salem, Massachusetts 

-Boston, Massachusetts

-Newport, Rhode Island

-Providence, Rhode Island

Surprisingly, it was next to impossible to fit all of these cities into one week.  It was not going to be a relaxing vacation at all!  

We left our house much later than anticipated- 4:30 PM on a Thursday night. Needless to say, there was no way we were driving straight through the night.  The whole family needed to be in Portland, Maine, the next day for the rehearsal dinner for my cousin's wedding. We made it about four hours before checking into a hotel in northeastern Pennsylvania.  Couldn't even get out of the darned state! 

Bright and early the next morning, we took off for the eight hour drive remaining. I knew we were getting close when we stopped in at Panera for lunch and saw this sign.

I know that lobster rolls are a New England speciality, but I never expected to see advertisements everywhere! I got a good chuckle out of the amount of people walking out of Panera carrying lobster rolls.  

Finally! We arrived in Portland! I could tell right away that Portland is one of those towns that is meant for coffee and sea breezes. It is remarkable! The port side dining and shopping is a mix of  quaint and big city.  It is also the most walkable town I have ever been to.  The sidewalks take you everywhere and the scenery is breathtaking.  At every corner there is a quirky little shop or a coffee place.  As a vegetarian, I was astounded by the amount of meat-free eateries. 

The architecture in Portland is a mix of old and new. The brick buildings are something I'm not used to seeing. I wish that we were able to spend a bit more time exploring the city by foot, but we needed to go to the wedding; the reason we were in the city to begin with. Now, I like weddings as much as the next person, but sometimes I just cannot stand the stuffy churches and the long ceremonies.  This wedding was nothing like that at all!  

The bride and groom chose a park right outside of Portland as the spot for their nuptials. It was the best way to show off the beauty of Maine. All of the out-of-town guests were stunned by the combination of the sea, rocks, and grassy knolls.  

After an amazing wedding and roof top reception, we only had a morning left in Portland.  Looking back on the entire trip, I can safely say that this was the best part of the vacation.  Too bad it was at the beginning!  Everywhere else we went had to attempt to live up to the vibe of Portland. 

We still have 5 days to go on our Vacation 2K14, so stay tuned! 

xoxo,

Royse

Currently Reading and Listening

I am a want-to-be hipster.  So naturally, I have the tendency to listen to obscure music and read young adult novels that no one has ever heard of.  But, my inner hipster is often overpowered by my fangirl tendencies. Okay, you can't blame me. I'm an eighteen year old girl with very "passionate" feelings towards some big name music stars (One Direction, Ed Sheeran, 5 Seconds of Summer). Please don't hold it against me.   

That being said, I wanted to share what I'm currently reading and listening to. I love getting recommendations, so I hope you enjoy mine.

I just finished reading a non-fiction travel memoir by Susan Richards entitled, "Lost and Found in Russia: Lives in the Post-Soviet Landscape".  An upcoming blog post will go more in depth about my feelings about it! I recommend it, but I have some opinions I want to share.

Now, I'm opting for something a bit lighter!  

As of this post, I am a little over halfway through "Catch a Falling Star" by Kim Culbertson.  So far, it is everything I could ever want from a Young Adult contemporary fiction.  For the first time in a long time, I'm not rolling my eyes at stereotypical characters and dialogue. Culbertson's writing is astounding me, as is the plot! A small town girl agrees to pretend to be a huge movie star's girlfriend. Needless to say, chaos ensues. If you are looking for one of the best summer reads since Anna and the French Kiss, this could be it!

Now to music!

Lately, my inner fangirl has been dying over the brand new 5 Seconds of Summer Album!  If you are not a teenage girl, you may not be familiar with them.  This four piece, Australian pop-punk band writes some of the catchiest coming of age music.  My personal favorites off their debut album are "End Up Here", "Voodoo Doll", "Independence Day", and "Amnesia".  Even if the Top 40 style of music isn't your thing, you can still enjoy their album!

I've also been loving Ed Sheeran's album, "X".  I feel like his music is best enjoyed as a whole.  My absolute favorite thing about Ed Sheeran is that he takes the listener on a journey. Literally.  His music makes you feel so many different emotions.  From dance tracks, ballads, raps, you bounce back and forth between love, lust, and heartbreak.  It's incredible.  He's the type of artist that does not come around often.  

Ed Sheeran's "X" Album Art

Some of my random favorites include The Arctic Monkeys' "Do I Wanna Know", "Arabella", and "Snap Out of It".  The Arctic Monkey style is much more alternative and rock inspired.  I like to blast their music at disgustingly loud levels in order to bring out my internal rock star.  What can I say, I've always wanted to jam with the best of them.  

xoxo,

Royse.  

Hello and welcome to my blog!
I am so excited to finally be pursuing this endeavor that I have been contemplating for so long! Writing used to be one of my most enjoyed past time.  Years ago I would spend hours and hours with my laptop propped in my lap, creating what I then referred to as "The Next Great American Novel".  Needless to say, no great American novel was born from those hours of work.  In fact, the files remain untouched on my desktop.  I lost interest because I had no audience to interact it.  It was simply me and my computer screen.  The past few years, I have not shown any interest in reading or creating, because I had no one to write for; no reader to enjoy my content.  This is where the idea for a blog was born.  I am striving to create a community where we can interact.  The audience and the creator can work together to set up a website that is filled to the brim with information that all of us find interesting.  I understand that blogging is not something that will immediately supply me with internet fame and fortune.  I do not want either.  All I desire is an audience that is willing to put up with my antics and interact with me as I find my way through life.  I am young, and I feel that my most exciting days are ahead of me.  I wish to share them with you.


xoxo.
Royse