Making the most of forced introversion - 2

Hey, all!
I hope everything is going well, that you're having a good time at home and that things aren't too crazy where you are. Even if your local officials aren't asking you to stay home, it's a wonderful initiative to take - for once, staying home is the best way to save lives. 

Here, I'm on my 21st day of confinement. Yipee. Things can get a little repetitive, especially when you run out of things you can be entertained by. Boredom is finding many victims nowadays. 

So today, I finally decided to put together this giant list of media alternatives that I and other people have been using lately! Because instead of lamenting being able to go out, we should be making the most of this confinement. 

MUSIC
I listen to a ton of music. It varies a lot and allows for a great mood boost if I need it. I'm also someone who loves to make playlists for various occasions, and I can ensure that there are many amazing playlists on Spotify for any genre you may enjoy. But for now, I decided to make an upbeat, large and mostly positive playlist I can share with you all! Some songs are inspired by friends, indirectly, while others are just plain fun to listen to. Click here to access my list! 


YOUTUBE CHANNELS 
My brother and I are Youtube nerds. Here are some channels that post daily, or that make videos with always a twist of positivity! 
- Good Mythical Morning
- Jacksepticeye
- MrBeast
- SimplyNailLogical
- Doctor Mike
- AmazingPhil




I would also highly recommend general storytelling animators like TheOdd1sOut, weird experimental channels like The Slow Mo Guys, and finding letsplays of some favorite game (even if it's not a famous youtuber they are super fun and make hours go by far too quickly!)













SORTA-SERIES
Of course there are many interesting series to keep up with on Netflix and Hulu, but there are so many other platforms on which you can find series that are just as interesting as what you may find on them! Youtube offers 2 of my personal favorites:  Critical Role and RWBY. Critical Role is a bunch nerdy-ass voice actors who play dungeons and dragons. They play on a weekly bases, and have a story that is absolutely entralling. It is both hilarious and adorable, as fun as it can be sad. You really get invested in the characters played by the players, and the story is absolutely phenomenal. At first it's odd to watch people play, but you get used to it quickly. It makes for an awesome 150+ hour audiobook to listen to in the background of things. 

RWBY is something I'm only about halfway through but that I've recently been having a lot of fun with. Made by RoosterTeeth, this animated series follows a bunch of teenagers and young adults who study at a school for hunters, to keep the world safe. Imagine Winx all grown up on steroids, with epic fight scenes and awesome music. Getting through volumes 1 and 2 takes some getting used to, but volume 3 is so incredible! I'm halfway through 4 and I can't recommend it enough! 

GAMES TO PLAY
I have been spending almost every evening playing games online with my cousins and friends. It took us some time to find our favorites, but after some searching, I can highly highly suggest these games! The best way to play is always in groups while chatting over discord (or some other similar chat application!)
- Pictionary - there are tons of sites that allow you to play this! Just experiment a bit to find your favorite
- Cards against Humanity - because we can all afford to have dark humor nowadays 
- Terraria - there's something super fun about exploring the resources of a world with friends
- Tricky Towers - Imagine building a tower based on tetris pieces, with power ups and curses to send your friends. Yes it's fantastic. 
- Mario Kart - If you have Nintendo online, you can play mario kart with friends from a distance! It's super fun! 

EVENTS TO ATTEND
Just because the world is shut down doesn't mean that big events are totally giving up. 
- Many comic cons are opening their doors online! This follows several days of events, including panels, shop advertisements and even cosplay competitions! 
- NANOWRIMO is going on in certain regions right now! Great way to pass time. 
- Many streaming services are offering movies earlier than planned! Movies that were supposed to be released in the next months will be released online very early :) 
-  There are currently a ton of readathons and giveaways to participate in, which I would supper suggest being a part of! 

SMALL SHOPS TO SUPPORT 
Around the world, so many small independent shop owners are being affected by this crisis. I really am pleading you to support your local shops. Going to the supermarket is good, but if you have a little grocer, that's even better. However, small owners on etsy could also use your help. Follow some of the links below to some incredible shops I know of. 
Threaded Moons 
Letters & Lights 
NerdieNifties 
Fire Nation Creations 
Oriandle 
Create Explore Read 
Till and Dill 
 To name only a few! I wish it were possible to list all of them I've grown to appreciate over the years! 


Disclaimer time 
Remember to  - stay home stay home stay home - Stay at least 1 meter/3 feet away from people (or if you are in the Netherlands, it's anderhalve meter!) - Please don't spam amazon or any other delivery service - only order what you really need!  - Please don't hoard at supermarkets - you're taking things away from people who need it. - Listen to a reliable news source  - You are not mightier than the virus - don't think the rules don't apply to you  - Keep in contact with people  - Don't hate on the authorities who are putting regulations in place - this is a new situation for everybody, no government knows what to do more than another


I would LOVE to hear other recommendations you have! I will gladly add them to this list based on chats and comments :)


Stay bookish and stay home!