Five Favorites of mine as a little treat.
I remember in college asking and answering the same question. “What’s your major?’ “Whats your major?” “What are you studying?” You get it. I used to not like that question as an opener. I just don’t think they tell me enough about a person! As a result, in the spirit of that question, here are my answers to questions I think better introduce a person.
FIVE FAVORITE THINGS
MOVIE
“Almost Famous”. To me, Almost Famous is a perfect movie. The story is a beautiful, true-to-life coming of age narrative. It’s a perfect time capsule for a time in American history, when music was a lighthouse for all that seemed lost. “The Graduate” is well recognized for its use of Simon and Garfunkel, but I think Almost Famous’ use of “America” works on more levels. Every inch of it is perfect, dated tropes notwithstanding. I still sometimes fantasize about risking it all to chase a rock band around the world.
OTHER FAVORITE MOVIES: “Black Swan,” “Jurassic Park,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Psycho”
BAND
The Beatles. Of all the five favorites listed today, I believe this one has reigned captain the longest. When I was in middle school, I heard a horrifying radio broadcast detailing how Paul McCartney had died early in the run of the Beatles and had been replaced. It felt so eerie, and for a burgeoning fan of the macabre, it fed my soul. I fell down a rabbit hole of Beatles music and came out the other side with an all-time favorite. I don’t listen to them every day, but not many other artists can instantly bring me peace the way that they can.
OTHER FAVORITE BANDS: Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, ABBA, The 1975
TV SHOW
The Office. Does that surprise anyone? I first watched “The Office” at summer camp. It was ostensibly a planned movie night, but no one brought a movie. At least, that would make sense, considering that from there, my entire age group just sat and watched a counselor’s DVD of season 2. It was just a few episodes, but I was hooked. I stayed through till the end, and while the first five seasons were undoubtedly the best, I think that seasons six through nine are still better than the majority of what else was airing at the time. With the rush of nostalgia in pop culture, people talk about rebooting the show. I say no. It’s perfect as it is.
OTHER FAVORITE SHOWS: Community, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development
FOOD
Calzone. If mentioning “Parks and Recreation” above wasn’t big enough of a clue, I’ll come out and declare it! I love calzones. Pizza is just as fun, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about a calzone that just feeds me more. Perhaps it’s my ability to proportion cheese to sauce to crust! Who can say? When I was a teenager, I would always look forward to my weekends spent at my dad’s house; he wasn’t much of a cook, but he’d always order us pizza on Fridays. I’d pitch up in front of the TV with my calzone and reruns. A good, peaceful night! I’ll never say no to pizza, but calzones take the number one spot for my top comfort food.
OTHER FAVORITE FOODS: Donuts, Pasta, Baked Alaska, Pizza. I’d also like it noted that we, as a society, have not improved since the Oreo. That’s okay. The Oreo can be the magnum opus of humanity. That’s more than enough.
PLACE
Burlington, Vermont. It’s my college town, where so many things happened. It may come off as a veiled desire to return to my early twenties, but I just love Vermont in general. The quality of the food, air, and life is better. It’s not as expensive as New York, and it’s twice as quiet. I always talk about wanting the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, and I do. I do very much want that. But if given the chance, I’ll pick a nice place with greater access to nature. Besides, Burlington is a 45 minute flight to NYC, and a three hour drive to Boston. I can make it work.
OTHER FAVORITE PLACES: Great Neck, NY, Manhattan, NY, London, UK, Amsterdam, Netherlands
These five favorites should say a lot about me! I think that “eclectic” is a good word to describe my tastes. I’d like to think that I’m not all “one way” or another! I’ve changed and grown as one does in their existence on this earth, but these five favorites have stayed relatively consistent my whole life. I know what I like, and what I want! Nowadays, that’s a pretty special thing.