I hate a lot of things.
But I’m trying to be in a more positive mindset this week, so here is a list of some weird and niche things I love but don’t talk about all that often.
strange Titles
I love when songs, albums, books etc. have unorthodox titles that make them so unique and recognizable. For example, my favorite author, Khaled Hosseini, has written several novels with odd titles like “And the Mountains Echoed” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns”. My favorite band, The 1975, always makes up very long and strange album titles. “Notes on a Conditional Form” and “I Like it When You Sleep for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It” are just two of my favorite examples. Cage the Elephant has an album called “Melophobia”. Titling an album the fear of music??? That is so smart and creative. Breakup Shoes has a song called “Unrequited Love (& other clichés)”. Stress Relief has a song called “Nostalgic Love Rock”. All these titles just scratch my brain in such a good way. I like how odd they are.
Being Alone
This is not a particularly rare thing, but I think I love being alone more than the average person. Obviously, I do love to spend time with my family and friends too, but spending uninterrupted time alone can be so refreshing for me. I can do whatever I want without judgment from anyone but myself.
Movie Scores
I truly don’t know what it is about a John Williams song playing at full volume in my AirPods, but it makes me get my work done at lightspeed. Whether it be music from “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Lord of the Rings”, or “Star Wars”, something about film scores from great movies puts me in the best headspace to work or study.
Hyper Specific Playlists
I make new playlists at least once a week. I also try to find new music a few times a week. This creates hyper fixations on new songs that make me feel a whole new emotion. Then I collect other songs that make me feel the same way and I put them into the same playlist. I do this all the time and some of the playlists only have a few songs because the emotion is so specific and lasts for such a short time. Oftentimes, I only listen to these playlists for a few days and then ignore them for a long time. When I listen to them again after so long, it’s like getting to hear those songs for the first time and the cycle of hyper fixation starts over again.
Photoshop
Trust me, I’m not using photoshop in the way an influencer would. I’m not changing my entire facial structure or making my arms skinnier. Usually, I am splicing three or four different pictures into one to make sure everyone’s eyes are open and that they have great smiles. Sometimes I also use it for stupid stuff, like making fake wedding pictures of me and Niall Horan. Either way, I will spend a lot of time perfecting the photos, so they look seamless and real.
SImultaneous Conversations
Having different conversations over different forms of media with the same person at the same time is so much fun. It’s like, OMG we are best friends. Bonus points if on one platform you are talking about something super serious and then on another you are sending memes. Though sometimes it gets hard to maintain and keep track of which conversation goes where, I love doing this with people.
Working
Despite the fact that I complain about it almost every day of my life, I really do love my job. And I like working in general. It gives me something to do when I am not in school, and it makes me feel like I am not the lazy girl I know I am. Of all the jobs I have had, I would go back and do almost any of them again (minus working at a country club – highly recommend avoiding). They are a great place to make friends and gain valuable experience.
Heavy Snow
I do not have a car so maybe when I do, my feelings on this will change. But since I have nothing to worry about cleaning off and maintaining, I love when it snows really heavily. In order to create the feeling that I love, there have to be some very specific conditions. First, there cannot be any wind; the snow has to be falling straight. Next, it has to be nighttime in a quiet place; it should be totally silent. And lastly, you have to just stand there and listen. The snow creates a kind of insulation around you and it feels like you are the only person around for miles. It is such a trippy and unreal feeling. The snow looks like it should be making noise when it falls, but it doesn’t. If you have never experienced this, you have to the next time it snows, but make sure to follow all the rules listed above.
Museums
I visited the Louvre this past summer. And while it was beautiful and a unique experience, it could not beat museums much closer to home. My dad and I have made a point to go to a few different museums a few times a year for as long as I can remember. Our favorite museum by far is the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Even though I am older and most of the exhibits at the science center are for little kids, my dad and I always find something to do or play around with. We also love the Strong National Museum of Play and the Memorial Art Gallery both in Rochester.
Ironic Fanfictions
You can have whatever opinions you want about fanfictions as a whole, but if you have never read an ironic fanfiction, you are missing out on a very unique but hilarious niche of comedy. There is a whole wide world of ironic fanfictions to read, but two of my favorites are stories about Lewis and Clark (yes, the explorers) and Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. They are silly and extremely bizarre, but they are also amongst some of the funniest things I have ever read. Quick tip: do not search for it yourself; you need someone who knows what to look for to show you. Otherwise, you might find some truly terrifying things.
My Birth Control
I have been so lucky with my birth control experience. I have found in most cases, women try three, four, or five different methods of birth control before they discover what works for them. For me, I have been able to stick with the very first thing I tried. I used to have debilitating periods to the point I would have to leave school. I would vomit and pass out and have terrible stomach cramps. My birth control pretty much instantly solved the pain and discomfort I had during my periods and has continued to do so the whole time I’ve used it.
Starbucks Cold Foam
This is for sure not an individual opinion I have. Lots of people love the cold foam from Starbucks. I am a cold foam snob. If it’s not from Starbucks, I do not want it. I can’t even discuss Tim Horton’s cold foam it’s that bad. Dunkin’ Donut’s cold foam is almost as bad. If you don’t drink it all eight seconds after you get your coffee, it will just disappear. If you do drink it before it dissolves, it is too sweet and too watery. Starbuck’s cold foam hits that sweet spot where it is creamy but not too thick and it is not overly sweet. Cold foam is an extra $1.25 but you can bet I will pay the extra fee every time I head into Starbucks to have that top my coffee.
Forgetting I have a Tattoo
This a very niche thing because it can only apply to people that have tattoos. It applies to an even smaller group within those who have tattoos because you would think it would be kind of hard to forget something that is permanently part of you. My tattoo is on the back of my arm. I almost never see it. I love when I catch in the mirror every once in a while. It’s like a nice little surprise. Or when I wear shirts that show my tattoo, I like when people tell me they like my tattoo and I get to enjoy it for the first time in a while with them.
rANDY’S
If you’re not a Bonaventure student, you don’t get it. Randy’s Up the River is one of the most enigmatic places I have ever visited. Sometimes you will get your food pretty quickly. Other times you will wait until you become so hungry you are on the verge of tears when the waitress finally turns up with your food. No matter what the circumstances are, Randy’s food will always be more than worth it.