PERSONAL

Avatar the Last Airbender- While I believe nothing is a 10/10, ATLA is as close as it gets. The characters, world-building and magic systems are some of the best in all of fiction, despite being a "kid's show"

Brooklyn 99- This show is SO underrated. This might be a hot take, but it's a better version of the Office. The characters are more nuanced, the setting is more interesting, and the comedy just hits better.

Modern Family- Usually when shows go on for 11 seasons, it falls off, and while the beginning of Modern Family was definitely its peak, the writers always managed to keep it interesting and entertaining.

Better Call Saul- While everybody says Breaking Bad is the greatest show ever, I personally like Better Call Saul more. The characters are more likable, the setting and plot are more interesting, and Jimmy's arc, while not as good as Walter's, is still amazing

Fresh Off the Boat- This show doesn't get covered as much as some other popular family sitcoms, and while it's not perfect, it will always hold a special place in my heart. It's hilarious, yes, but also so incredibly relatable to me as a first-generation Asian american. It keeps a balance of humor with addressing societal issues and Asian stereotypes

Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse- Somehow, the sequel was even better than the original, which revolutionized animation as a genre. Amazing visuals, sound track, animation paired with an incredible story and relatable characters.

The Truman Show- This movie is literally everything I ever wanted in a psychedelic movie. It does the idea of the matrix better than The Matrix and seeing Jim Carey use his theatrical movements in a serious film rather than a comedy made me appreciate him more.

Knives Out- This just goes to show how if Hollywood execs just funded original movies, they turn out great. It's an intriguing mystery that kept me suspended and enthralled for its entire run.

Perks of Being a Wallflower- Oh boy. Oh booooy. This is one of the only movies to ever make me tear up. Charlie as a character was really relatable to me, not in his trauma, but in how he acts with other people and his feelings of lonliness.

Bullet Train- Such a fun movie, and the way everything gets tied together in the end is amazing to watch. The characters are so loveable in such a short amount of time and the twists are jaw-dropping.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians- The Percy Jackson series will forever hold a special place in my heart. Its funny, sweet, sad and a dozen other emotions that are squeezed in a world of gods and magic.

Wings of Fire- This series is so tightly written its crazy to see. Each five book set in the series is tied to each other so neatly and it creates a sense of immersion that is really hard to achieve. 

Calvin and Hobbes- It's one of the most popular comics of all time, and it's easy to say why. It's hilarious, obviously, but also weirdly profound and mature in a way that made me question how I was able to read it when I was a little kid.  

One of Us is Lying- I'm a sucker for one off mysteries. There doesn't need to be a whole cinematic universe or anything, this book had a cool, suspenseful story to tell, told it, and left the reader wanting more.

Kite Runner- I had to read this book for school, but unlike most, it really stuck with me. It has such heavy subject matter and focuses on issues that unjustly don't have a spotglight in modern media.

My Mom's Family Farm- In India, my mom grew up on a guava and mango farm. I've had the pleasure of visiting it several times and feel so connected to the nature there that it almost feels like I grew up with her.

Doctor's Colony- My father's neighborhood when he grew up in India, where I spend most of my time when I'm there. It feels like my own neighborhood, especially the sweet shop down the street.

The Library- As a storyteller, the library was always one of my favorite places. As a kid, I'd go there everyday, and now, whenever I get the chance, I'll go just to see if there's anything new I want to read.

Cambridge- Call me bias, but Cambridge is one of the most beautiful cities in America. It has all the vibes of a metropolitan area without some of the more unsavory parts that can come with the city life.

Pingree School- It feels a little weird to be calling my school one of my favorite places, but at Pingree, I met some of my closest friends, found amazing teachers, and was enthralled in things I never thought I'd be.

Train Ride at Night- On one of my trips to India, we took a train ride up north. It was over a day, so that night, my cousins and I went to the open door of the train to see the moon, which I will always remember.

On the Rooftop- One of my friend's house had rooftop access, and when we went up there, the seven us barely squeezing on top, it felt like we could see the entire world, the open sea and faraway continents.

Clay Tennis Courts- My friends and I went up to Vermont for a weekend, and there was my first time playing tennis on clay courts, which was a weirdly therapeutic experience that I still haven't fully relived.

Parasailing- Over Lake George in New York, my cousin and I skipped across the water like stones until we managed to get hundreds of feet in the air, feeling like we were hanging by our own free will.

Misery Island- A spontaneous desicion to kayak led my friends and I to discover an island with ruins from an old casino and trails that had been handed back to nature and the animals that lived there.

Avatar- I've already talked about my love for both ATLA and LoK. I love everything about this world, to the point where my friend and I even started a Tik Tok account just to express our opinions on these shows.

Percy Jackson- Percy Jackson was the first book series I ever got into reading and the expansion of its world and magic system fascinates me. The spinoffs are often just as interesting as the main story was to me.

How to Train Your Dragon- I seriously don't know how this franchise works so well. Its seems superficial, kids riding dragons, yet they somehow turned it into one of the most heartfelt stories ever.

Harry Potter- I may like this less than most, but I can appreciate the worldbuilding and lore around the Harry Potter universe, even if I do think the magic system is a little convenient at times.

Marvel- Obviously, one of the biggest brands in the world. I only really got into the fandom because of the movies, and while I wouldn't consider myself a superfan, I LOVE these characters.

Happy- NF often makes songs about inner emotions, and this one is about the feeling of depression becoming part of somebody's identity so that they don't feel like themselves when they're happy. That's a worry of mine, but this song makes the idea of it seem better.

me, without you- I recently discovered Evan Honer and loved his powerful vocals and direct, relatable lyrics. This song is about trying to work on yourself after a break up, but another person always being in the back of your mind.

Cigarette Daydreams- This song talks about how relationships slowly fade out, not for any particular reason. I feel like I've experienced this throughout my life, and this song perfectly articulates those feelings of sadness.

Ophelia- This song talks about relationships, both between people and concepts, and how you're a fool for falling for them without caution. It colors how I approach the idea of love in my own life.

505- This song talks about how the singer will do anything for love, go any distance at any time. I wish to do the same, whenever I achieve that love, and I hope that whatever my love is, its worth any amount of travel.

Stories- As you've hopefully figured out, stories are really important to me. They're how I escape from a reality that is often less than ideal, and into worlds with characters that seem just perfect and frozen in time.

Excercise- I started working out at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school with my friend, and as all of the science also concludes, it's an amazing remedy for the stress of normal life.

Boxing- There's something so inherently therapeutic about punching something, especially when you're angry. I found catharsis in letting out my rage in a way that is also productive by building a skill.

Nature- It's so peaceful, yet so chaotic, and I find happiness in surrounding myself with it. The orderly inorder, the cold or heat, the rain or sun. Being just in nature lets me slow down, and remember what life is.

Music- It might be stereotypical, but music is a window into human emotion. I will always sit by these windows and experience the raw emotion and how it connects with my own feelings.

Jack De Sena- He starred in not one, but two of my favorite shows. I don't think I've ever heard him have a weak line read. He seems genuinely nice and is hilarious in almost every interview of him I watch.

Nathan Feuerstein- Also known as NF, he's my favorite musician. He pours so much heart and soul into his music that it feels like I know him on a personal level, and that we're similar as people.

Tom Brady- Nobody grows up in Patriots Dynasty era Boston without being a fan of the GOAT, but his mentality of hard work and consistency also resonates with me because those are the values I hold highest.

Ravi Teja- This Bollywood star is one of my favorite actors. He is incredibly expressive, going from goofy to deadly serious in seconds, displaying his range as an actor, and he also does some insane stunts.

Jenette McCurdy- One of my favorite characters in a show I watched when I was a kid, I listened to her audiobook of struggling as a child star. I appreciated her honesty and how much I related to her