A Guide To My Life Through Books and Media
Life is a funny thing. Each moment you live through, you have some association that lingers with it. Throughout my life, I’ve managed to rack up countless stories that even I wouldn’t believe. Each one includes memories that are either associated with music, movies, books, or media.
Complied in a list, here is a guide to my life through books and media.
AGE 10: Someone Like You - Adele
When I was 10, I had a crush on a boy who never looked my way and always made fun of my teeth. I hated him, but it was okay because he was cute. At the time, I had skipped a grade and although we were the same age, I remember being so embarrassed because he was in 5th grade and I was in 6th. When I graduated I thought my world was ending. Most days, I would steal my sister’s MP3 player, press play on this song, and cry in my bed thinking I was so hurt. Sometimes, I still do that with songs when I feel emotional.
Today, this has become my go-to karaoke song.
AGE 11: Day N’ Nite - Kid Cudi
For a long time, I thought I wanted to be a graphic designer. The reason? I remember vividly watching Kid Cudi’s Day N’ Nite music video one summer (because my brother was obsessed with him) and wondering how someone was able to do the graphics to the video. To me, it was something so new and cool and I wanted to do that.
Although graphic design wasn't something I ended pursuing in the long run, it’s become one of my favorite hobbies.
AGE 12 - The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
When I tell you I never knew love until Peeta Mellark came into my life, I’m 100% serious. I loved this man so much from the moment I found The Hunger Games. I picked up this book only because my brother was so fed up with me one day that he threw the book straight at my head. I read the book all the way through that night and cried too much because of Rue and Katniss and how much of herself she gave up for those she loved. Then, there was Peeta, the boy who reminded her of hope.
Though I’ve made sure my brother never saw it again, I ended up keeping his school copy and have since dreamed of finding a Peeta Mellark.
AGE 13: Love, Rosie (2014)
After becoming completely obsessed with The Hunger Games and addicted to One Direction and fanfics, I became infatuated with the idea of love. I spent countless days watching romantic movies trying to search for something that would feed into this idea. One day, I watched a movie with my favorite actress and fanfiction character, Lily Collins, and Sam Claflin from The Hunger Games trilogy. And honestly? I blame this movie for all my melodramatic tendencies and character flaws dealing with love. There was so much angst, yearning, and passion between them that this movie will always be my favorite.
I watch this movie when I need to remind myself that love, like all things, takes patience and will come.
AGE 14: Scandal by Shonda Rhimes
I cannot emphasize how much Shonda Rhimes has molded me into the person I am today. Her writing? Impeccable. Grey’s Anatomy and her characters? Amazing. I could go on, but after becoming obsessed with her writing on Grey’s, I decided to embark on her other show, Scandal, which starred Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope. Olivia was everything I wanted to be — a badass woman in the public relations industry but mostly a “fixer” for any crisis in Washington. She ran with the wolves. Not only that but she also was madly in love and in an affair with the President! When I heard the premise, I opened up Netflix and I watched the entire season in one day.
This show was the reason I went into public relations and another reason why I am such a classic romantic.
AGE 15: Blue Neighbourhood - Troye Sivan
I listen to Blue Neighbourhood whenever I feel nostalgic and want to relive my youth. I loved this album so much that I convinced my mother to let me attend by telling her it was for a Christian boy band concert. I even created a flyer with pictures of The Wanted and a fake concert ticket.
After seeing Troye Sivan and hearing YOUTH live, I told myself as he was singing that I would always try to be like this — young and in love with life.
AGE 16: Trivia 承: Love by RM of BTS
This song, simply put, made me think about all the things I wanted in my life. It was also the reason why I quit AP Biology and decided that I wouldn’t want to be a doctor anymore. All it took was playing the song loud, rolling the windows down in my sister’s car, and letting my hands brush the air as we drove and for some reason, I just knew. I didn’t want to do that or be that person.
So now, when I listen to this song, I suddenly know what to do.
AGE 17: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
One day my junior year, my best friend and I ditched our classes because we were too stressed. We decided we would go to lunch at In-N-Out and sat in the parking lot watching To All The Boys. We were laughing and wishing we were Laura Jean and dreaming that our high school looked like hers.
It was nothing special but I still think a lot about that moment, although I’m not sure why. Because of that, this movie holds a special place in my heart.
AGE 18: Endgame (2019)
I’ve since rewatched this movie many times, but it will never be like the first time I saw it in theatres in the spring of my senior year. The energy, the feeling of excitement, and the moment of walking out of the movie theatre with my friends were so refreshing. I don’t know if I’ll ever find that kind of euphoria again. I ended up watching it again in theatres the next month and was almost late for my graduation.
This movie remains my ultimate comfort movie and I will take my love for Tony Stark to the grave.
AGE 19: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is one of those books you put down and think about for the rest of your life. I read it once but never finished it, but then reread to write about its beauty for Unpublished. It is so powerful and detailed, that even now, I don’t think I can read it again. However, the thoughts will stay with me.
It made me view myself and other immigrants from different lenses and how hurt, even at the worst of it, is still beautiful.