I, admittedly, have a Netflix and Hulu addiction. I am always looking for new shows and movies to watch, and have made my way through just about all the good ones on both platforms. So, if you need a little inspiration for your next movie night or Netflix binge, look no further. Here is a list of my top 5 shows to watch during your next binge.

1. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
   • This show will have you in tears. There are rare moments when I’m not laughing. Each cast member fits their role perfectly and the chemistry between them is obvious. Each episode is new and unique and you never know what is going to happen next.
2. The League
   • The League is aimed towards sports fans, specifically football, so if you fit that profile, it’s time to dive in. The show revolves around a group of friends and their intense fantasy football league. The group dynamic is hysterical and each person contributes their own sense of humor.
3. Shameless
   • You definitely won’t feel any shame after binging this series. Based in Chicago, this family of misfits keeps you on your toes. From Frank’s elaborate schemes, Fiona’s failed dating life, to Carl’s bizarre adventures, this show has it all.
4. American Horror Story
   • While it can be a little gruesome at times, the plot is always interesting. Each season is completely different, but with the same actors. By completely different I mean that one season does not tie into the next, so it is basically a new show every time! Be wary of this show is you scare easily!
5. Parks and Recreation
   • Leslie Knope may just be my favorite TV character of all time. Her cluelessness, her desire to help, and her wild plans never seem to go her way , but she always keeps a smile on her face. She is the most obnoxiously cheery person out there, but since you don’t actually have to deal with her in real life its fun to watch other people go through it.

School

I was born “double-jointed,” this isn’t an actual term, but it is what most people know it as: A better term for it is hyper flexibility. Growing up, I played every sport my parents could get me into, including gymnastics. My twin sister was an amazing gymnast, she could do all the flips, jumps, everything…and then there was me. You’d think being super flexible would be good for gymnastics, but that wasn’t the case. My shoulders are so overly flexible that I couldn’t support myself for flips, and I couldn’t hang on the bars because they would pop out of socket. It didn’t hurt physically, but it did hurt mentally. Because I was unable to do most things, I switched to rhythmic gymnastics. Rhythmic gymnastics is literally gymnastics for insanely flexible people, but I couldn’t even do that. My shoulders were so flexible that I couldn’t catch the weighted ball we were supposed to throw around. So, there was the end of my gymnastics career. I didn’t love gymnastics so it wasn’t a huge deal, but because my twin sister was so good at something that I couldn’t do I was infuriated. At that time I became obsessed with swimming. I began swimming when I was 3, and by the time I got to high school I figured I would have to stop that too because my school didn’t have a swim team. But it just so happened that the school was starting a swim team my freshman year! I WAS THRILLED! I was the first captain of my high school’s first swim team. My freshman year I also became the first swimmer from my school to win conference, and I was .002 second off of qualifying for state: that was my goal. When sophomore year came around I began experiencing extreme shoulder pain, but I thought nothing of it and kept doing my thing. Towards the end of the season it got so bad that when I finished a race and climbed out of the pool I would be bawling. At that point my coach made me go see a doctor. What the doctor told me changed the entire course of my high school career. I had arthritis in my shoulder due to the hyper flexibility and over use. I finished out the season, but that was my last time ever swimming competitively. When I stopped swimming I went down hill fast. I gained 30 pounds and isolated myself from everyone. However, I didn’t let this new limitation (arthritis) stop me. I then became obsessed with volleyball. I was the captain of the team my junior and senior year, and I earned All-State, All-Conference, and All-District honors. My senior year I led my team to a 3rd place state finish. Volleyball is what kept me going. It took a tole on my joints to play, but I loved it and I was damn good at it. Initially, when my shoulder troubles began, I didn’t think I would ever be able to excel at the sports that I wanted to, but I did physical therapy and worked with a trainer every day and eventually overcame the thoughts in my head. Now that I am out of the sports world and looking back at the struggles I overcame, I have to give all of the credit to my mom. She never let me down. She was willing to do whatever I needed her to do so that I would be able to play the sport I loved pain free. She strengthen my mental toughness by constantly giving me pep talks and convincing me that I was good enough, and that this wasn’t something I was going to fail at.

Protect your peace,

get rid of toxicity,

cleanse your space,

cultivate love.