It’s no secret that I spend a somewhat ridiculous amount of time on the road, so I thought I would share my coping mechanisms for staying sane in the air and on the road. Though my main source of entertainment is my phone (music, movies, podcasts… it does it all!), I also love having my Kindle handy.
Kindle Paperwhite
The device for the bibliophile, the Kindle has saved me from countless hours of boredom. The ability to go from book to book on a whim, and having access to hundreds or thousands of titles is truly mind-blowing when you stop to think about it. I recently finished reading “The Bear and the Nightingale” and “The Winds of Khalakovo“, and have started a few more. After having my Kindle for a few months, I can’t imagine life without my Kindle.
Podcasts
- ars PARADOXICA – Secrets. The Cold War. Time Travel. Physics. ars PARADOXICA is a thrilling audio drama for those that enjoy believable science-fiction and being kept on the edge of their seats. Season 3 is coming this year!
- Black List Table Reads – Hosted by Franklin Leonard, the Black List Table Reads is all about ear movies. Every season, screenwriters are interviewed, writing processes are discussed, and you get a sneak peek into the way movies are made from the ground up. Mixed in, you will be given stories with professional voice actors. Some of my favorites include “Jody“, “Forever Jaying, 1937“, “Celeritas“, “Chrome Noir“, and “The Other Side“. Definitely worth checking out!
- Cabin Pressure – Originally radio series produced by the BBC, Cabin Pressure was created by John Finnemore, and stars him as well. Other members of the cast include Roger Allam (yes, from Game of Thrones), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, Sherlock, and oh so many other productions), and Stephanie Cole. As someone who loves flying, Cabin Pressure is a hilarious take on the lives on the lives of the employees of a small charter company.
- NPR’s Invisibilia – Taken from the NPR program’s page: Invisibilia (Latin for invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. Co-hosted by Lulu Miller, Hanna Rosin and Alix Spiegel, Invisibilia interweaves narrative storytelling with scientific research that will ultimately make you see your own life differently.
- NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me – Taken from NPR’s program page: Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! is NPR’s weekly hour-long quiz program. Each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what’s real news and what’s made up. On the Web, you can play along too.
- The Adventure Zone – Dungeons & Dragons. So many memories! The Adventure Zone follows the McElroy family (Justin, Travis, Griffin, and Clint) as they make their way through a campaign. Though a little rough at the start, the personality of the characters really comes through.
- The Strange Case of Starship Iris – Though another science fiction radio drama, The Strange Case of Starship Iris follows the life of Violet Liu, a biologist, as she struggles to make sense of life after humanity’s war against an extraterrestrial species. And that is all I can say without spoilers.
Google Play Subscription
Much like Pandora or Spotify, Google offers a subscription service for Google Play Music. Pricing varies from $9.99 for an individual or $14.99 for a family plan, where up go 6 individuals can share a membership. This allows for unlimited (ad-free) listening, downloading, and YouTube RED.
Netflix / Amazon Prime Downloadable Content
Amazon introduced offline viewing of content for the primary member of a Prime family (or individual, for individual memberships) in 2015. In November 2016, Netflix followed with offering offline viewing of content. Since then, their offline library has grown considerably, though it should be noted that it doesn’t encompass their entire streaming library. Also, Netflix has a hidden limit on how many times you can download a given title. This is a little frustrating as you don’t know you’re reaching the limit until you’re almost there. Both services have limits on how much content you can have downloaded, and you should only ever delete content when you are connected to a network (cellular or WiFi) to ensure that it properly cleans up the licensing behind the scenes, allowing you to download a new title.