Happy Friday, y’all! I can’t believe the weekend is almost here — the week has flown by. So far my meal planning has paid off. For the most part, I’ve been eating much healthier this week. And, we have yet to eat a single meal out. There are so many leftovers in the fridge I don’t think we’ll have to make a grocery run until next Monday, which is totally fine with me!
Since I’ve been spending a lot of time in the kitchen this week, I’ve been on a podcast binge. I have to admit, I was way behind on the podcast trend. It wasn’t until I started my job in public media a year and a half ago that I even listened to one. Like many people, I got hooked on Serial. And when I say hooked, I mean obsessed.
Serial follows a true story over the course of several episodes. In the inaugural season, Sarah Koenig dives into the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. Lee’s boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was convicted of the crime and is serving life in prison. But Syed always insisted he was innocent. From episode to episode, I found myself questioning what I believed about who the people in the story were and what their involvement in the crime may have been. Koenig makes even the nitty-gritty details of the case seem gripping. I was more excited for a new episode of Serial than I probably ever have been about a TV show — and that’s saying a lot. If you haven’t listened to a podcast before and enjoy crime stories, start here.
Listening to Serial opened up a whole new world for me. I quickly found myself listening to podcasts whenever I had a spare moment — while working out, grocery shopping, cooking dinner, driving anywhere. What I love about podcasts is how much I want to talk about them with other people — for some reason more than books, movies or TV shows. I’m amazed not only by the content, but the format. What many of these people are able to do simply through masterful writing and amazing use of sound is absolutely beautiful. It gives me butterflies.
If you’re new to the podcast world, here are a few of my favorites to check out on your next long road trip or marathon meal prep session. If you like what you hear, click ‘subscribe’ in your phone’s podcast app to get new episodes as they’re released. And, if you’re looking for a specific genre or want to listen to something new, head over to NPR’s new, amazing guide to podcasts, earbud.fm.
Note To Self
This is a podcast I wasn’t quite sure I would love when I read the description — a podcast all about our relationship with technology? But I quickly discovered it’s the most relevant and useful resource out there for a 20-something. Each week Manoush delves into a different topic about the human side of technology. She’s covered everything from how to write a better online dating profile to shocking government surveillance (she did a great piece on Radiolab about this, too). And every episode sucks me in, regardless of the topic. My favorite thing about this podcast is how Manoush gets listeners so involved. If you want to take a step back and change your relationship with your phone, suck it up and go through the Bored and Brilliant Bootcamp. I’m not exaggerating — it will change your life.
Radiolab
Radiolab is a feast for the ears. What Jad Abumrad, Robert Krulwich and their team do with sound is amazing. This is a podcast that will make you think differently about the world around and keep you on your toes. It examines science, relationships and answers a lot of questions you probably didn’t know you had.
Criminal
If your’e a true crime fan like me, this is another podcast that is right up your alley. What I love about Criminal is it doesn’t just feature stories about gruesome murders and unsolved mysteries. Phoebe Judge makes you care deeply about stories involving people stealing wood from a national park or a man putting a Buddha statue up in his neighborhood. It focuses not just on the crimes, but the perpetrators and the victims.
The Moth
This podcast is unique in that it features people who aren’t professional broadcasters telling their own, true stories — in front of a live audience. Is that gutsy, or what? Each story is different and each person has his or her own style, which is what made me fall in love with the podcast. Oftentimes, the stories are deeply personal. They’re so intimate it makes you feel like you’re listening to a friend or family member recount a memory. The Moth shows how powerful the spoken word is and proves we all have a storyteller inside of us. And, the podcast hosts live StorySlams and mainstage events all over the country. If they’re coming to your area, be sure to snag a ticket!