Recently, I started rereading the Hunger Games, and it made me realize just how much I was into fiction and reading about fictional worlds. For example, Percy Jackson, Avatar the Last Airbender, Pokemon, Marvel Comics, and Harry Potter are just a few series that I love; I fell in love with these series because of their creation of a new world and the effort put into the world-building by the creators of each series. Each one has it's own plot, characters, and story. When I read or watch these fictional works, I picture myself in the world and it's almost like an escape from reality, which is something I find very therapeutic and cool.
Starting from a young age, I was a huge fan of TV and movies. I absolutely adored sitting with my family around the television, watching whatever show was on Disney Channel with my sisters. Every day my grandparents would watch Indian tv serials full of drama and plot twists, and I would sit and watch as much as I could with them. I always loved going to the movies and cherished every trip to the movie theatre. When the first version of Netflix was introduced where you could rent DVDs, I was in movie heaven; so many options! As I grew older I would watch movies and TV shows on my own, never limiting myself to any one genre. For me, TV was never just something I watched when I was bored or feeling lazy; I would look forward to it and would set aside time for it.
Reading books was also one of my favorite things to do and still is. My sister and I would go to the library every week, browsing different sections. As I grew older I moved from the kids section to the teen section to the young adult section. Every time I went to the library and found a good book or series I would binge it and read until there was nothing left to read. I would even find myself neglecting schoolwork to read. My favorite genre is young adult/ teen fiction but I will read anything if it's good including fantasy, mystery, post-apocalyptic, romance, horror, and occasionally nonfiction.
I think my obsession with reading and watching television and movies comes from the fact that these activities transport me to another world. While I am reading I become another character in life similar or different from my own, which I find so intriguing. During the movie or television show, I become engrossed in a story, and I often feel like I am apart of it. Reading and watching TV have become two of my biggest de-stressors; in high school, I would find peace and calmness from these two things and they would help me relax. Although I find myself watching less TV and reading less leisurely in college, I still try to make time for these things because they have become so important to me.
