I spent a lot of money around Black Friday just to get free shipping on online purchases. So I'm strapped for cash, but besides the general Christmas Experience™, I have nothing to do for a month with my broke self. Some of you guys are either working holiday hours or having rad holiday vacations, so you don't have all that much down time, but you do need quiet relaxation when you can get it. And some of you other guys just need one month's worth of distractions, and I respect your reasons for that. Well, if you fall, however vaguely, into any of these categories and are looking for ideas, read on. (Prices not including gas or food money where applicable, because you better work that into your own budget.)
1. SCRAPBOOK/DESTROY
PRICE: UNDER $10
TIME: A FEW HOURS, SPREAD OUT
There's
always a lot of collateral garbage hanging around at the end of a
semester. Take care of it. Rip them up, or crumple them up and play
basketball. Cut out words and make ransom letters, or get a marker and
start blacking things out until you have a redaction poem. Throw things
into a bonfire; literally dig a hole and bury them and then dance on the
grave. Buy a "Wreck This Journal" for six bucks and take out the
rest of your aggression and destructive tendencies.
2. FIND NEW MUSIC
PRICE: FREE
TIME: MANY HOURS
If
anyone recommended an artist to you this fall, give them a chance if
you haven't already. Listen to whole albums, and if you're into the
album, start going through discographies. Try a new genre. Dance in your
socks in the mirror every night before bed.
3. READ NEW BOOKS
PRICE: DEPENDS
TIME: DEPENDS
This
one's self-explanatory. All I'll say is, should you balk at committing
to a novel, short stories are your friend. I'm partial to Raymond Carver
or Joyce Carol Oates, but this list outlines a few excellently varied contemporaries.
4. PUT UP STRING LIGHTS
PRICE: $10
TIME: 15 MINUTES
Okay,
if you want to put on a suit and throw a banquet party, it's going to
cost you a little more than ten dollars and fifteen minutes. But
honestly, is this not such a look? And so appropriately festive for the
holiday season! Order an indoor set
from Ikea or go to, like, Wal-Mart and buy a little Christmas pack
and maybe some command hooks. Infinite mood light enjoyment.
5. PLAY "UNDERTALE"
PRICE: $9.99
TIME: AT LEAST 10 HOURS
It's an indie computer game on Steam,
modeled after all the Japanese-origin RPGs we know and love and grew up
with. It's easy to pick up the gameplay mechanics, and it's one of
those games you can play over again and still be surprised. You will
experience emotions.
6. WATCH MARVEL'S "JESSICA JONES"
PRICE: FREE
TIME: AROUND 13 HOURS
Whether
or not you like Marvel, superheroes, or Netflix original series, this
is simply good television. It's well made and has some excellent acting,
as well as being dark and engaging and full of surprisingly warm and funny
moments. Definitely NSFW. Not safe for anyone particularly squeamish,
too. But totally worth a watch -- even if you don't have Netflix, all 13
episodes are also on the web.
7. GO THRIFTING
PRICE: UNDER $10
TIME: AROUND THREE HOURS
Now,
I know Goodwill Industries may have a few disreputable business
practices, but gosh be darned if you can't find some cheap goodies
there. Have no shame: take a friend and a ten dollar bill -- and your
student ID for special discounts -- and hit up the local thrift store.
Grab lunch and make an afternoon date out of it. Trust me when I say it's a good time.
8. TVTROPES.ORG
TIME: YOU BETTER SET ASIDE SOME TIME
Listen,
have you ever been on this website? A trope is a recurring theme found
across different media in different iterations, and this snarky,
off-kilter place has an exhaustive list of any trope you can think of.
Every article references and subsequently links to other pages, and
basically, you can trudge your way through the site forever. The
irreverent tone reminds me of cracked.com,
but the way you end up with 15 tabs open reminds me of leap frogging
through Wikipedia articles -- both other good ways to waste your time
away.
9. EMBRACE THE ABYSS
PRICE: FREE
TIME: ONGOING
This is the last entry because it targets a pretty niche audience. It takes patience and a certain kind of mindset to settle down and quietly do nothing. It comes in pretty handy to be able to do this, although it can be awkward out in public, so it's nice to practice empty solitude in a closed environment. This is the kind of thing that lets you walk alone for hours, or lie down with your thoughts and not fly off the handle about it. When all else fails, just breathe and exist -- and know that that's okay, too.
