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How to escape the ordinary (with coffee, tuk-tuks and a little bit of imagination)

Ordinary is one of those things that creeps up on you unawares. Before you know it you’ve been brushing your teeth with the same brand toothpaste you were three years ago. You recognise every step of the commute to work, and at the café around the corner they simply ask you for ‘Same old same old’. Days start to blend into one another like porridge, and before you know it you’re bogged down in the ordinary. Even the word sounds heavy and repetitive, with cousins like bored-inary and snore-dinary slotting in just a little too easily.

But we at Intrepid are here to help, with eight handy ways you can swap the ordinary for the extraordinary, the usual for the unusual, the same-old-same-old for the…different-new-different-new. And what better place to do it all than Asia – the exotic and chaotic continent of cool? We racked our brains and couldn’t come up with a destination less deserving of the ‘ordinary’ label. Prepare to kiss mind-numbing routine goodbye!

Swap your Cappuccino for a Vietnamese drip-filtered coffee

Photo courtesy of Inna Dee, Flickr

Coffee is the juice that ordinary runs on. It’s our life-blood, our caffeine-pumping, creativity-generating stimulant of choice. But there’s a big wide world of it out there, and most people only wind up drinking the same cup over and over. Vietnamese coffee is drip-filtered slowly onto a soft bed of creamy sweetened condensed milk. Trust us, after one sip you’ll think regular cows need to really lift their game. Best enjoyed on a busy Hanoi street corner as the afternoon sun starts to dip behind the rooftops.

 Swap your train commute for a Thai tuk tuk ride

Photo courtesy of Laurence King, Flickr

Public transport in Asia varies in quality from place to place, but many (many) locals choose to make their daily journeys via moped. Whole families often pillion on one bike, stacked smallest to tallest with not a helmet in sight. Mopeds are cheap, fast and – surrounded by hundreds of other motorists – thrilling. But don’t worry, you don’t have to brave peak hour in Bangkok to experience this slice of Thai life. Head to Koh Samui or Chiang Mai in the north, hail down a tuk tuk and start exploring. Catching the tube in to work will never have felt so dull.

 Swap a visit to the cinema for a Bollywood extravaganza

Photo courtesy of prayitno, Flickr

There is a magical land out there, a land where moustached men and belly dancing women live happily ever after, where groups of strangers break into song, and where everyone is followed around by their own personal wind machine. That land is Bollywood. A trip to a Mumbai multiplex is nothing like your standard cinema: Bollywood here is more of a religion than a diversion, and you’ll be expected the cheer the hero (and whistle during the dance numbers) along with everyone else.

Swap football on the tellie for ringside Sumo tickets in Japan

Photo courtesy of Nakatani Yoshifumi, Flickr

There’s nothing wrong with an afternoon watching your football side on TV. But for something a little more extraordinary, nothing compares to ringside seats at one of Tokyo’s sumo bouts. Part religious ritual, part spectacle, and part two giant guys in towels pushing each other around a small circle, this is one of sport’s great contests. If that didn’t wrestle ordinary into submission, we’ll take you behind the scenes at a genuine sumo stable – just don’t get between them and their dinner.

Swap a night in bed for a night under the stars in India

Photo courtesy of idreamlikecrazy, Flickr

We spend nearly 300,000 hours in bed during our lifetimes – that’s a lot of time dedicated to ordinary. Sleep is so repetitive we’ve sort of become numb to it. Each night follows the same old pattern. So why not swap that ceiling with the weird patch where the roof leaked for an open sky and a galaxy full of stars on the sands of Osiyan ? Feel the Indian desert winds around you, stay up late and listen to the thundering silence. Who said bedtime had to be boring

Swap wildlife for a wild life

Photo courtesy of NOAA, Flickr

Most of us come into contact with wildlife every day. But no matter how much dignity and grandeur truly exists in the average street-side pigeon, rat or seagull, not many people would label them extraordinary. Moths and beetles also tend to rank pretty low on the ‘Spectacular Scale’. Enter Asia. Swap those everyday critters for egg-laying Giant Sea Turtles, friendly orang-utans and over 4,500 species of plant and animal life in Borneo’s Sabah region .

 Swap your cereal and toast for a bowl of Vietnamese pho

Photo courtesy of Pho Chu, Flickr

It’s meant to be the most important meal of the day, but most of us tend to waste breakfast on buttered toast (usually burned on one side), soggy cereal and perhaps an apple. Not a menu to inspire. But swap these cereal offenders for a steaming fresh bowl of Vietnamese pho, and you’ll wake up a different person. A clear noodle broth, flavoured with aromatic star anise, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, it’s Vietnam’s traditional wakeup call. Pull over at one of the busy streetside stalls in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, order a big bowl and watch the world go by.

Swap a walk in the park for a walk through the Himalayas

Photo courtesy of Les Haines, Flickr

It’s a proud weekend tradition: the walk in the park. Dogs running through the trees, old men playing chess, kids crying over spilt ice-creams. There’s nothing like it. But perhaps it’s time to mix things up: swap that stroll along the bike track for a stroll through the snow-capped peaks of the world most famous mountain range: the Himalayas. Trek through flame-red rhododendron forests , visit alpine hot springs, sip local brews in ancient cliff-side Tea Houses and fill your lungs with the glorious scent of fresh mountain air.

Do you want to avoid the ordinary? Check out our Intrepid itineraries to Asia and you’ll be half way there.

Feeling inspired?

Oliver Pelling

I once drove a tuk-tuk 1200km around Sri Lanka. I enjoy food of the Mexican and Japanese persuasion (and Korean. And most others). I'm from England but I live in Melbourne, where it feels like I'm on holiday all the time. I write about travel, music and skateboarding. And I'm usually much wittier than this, but writing about myself makes me self-conscious.

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Escape the Ordinary: A Classic Wellness Travel Getaway with Modern Twists in New Paltz, NY

Imagine: crisp winter air kissing your cheeks as you stroll through a charming college town, snow-dusted streets lined with twinkling lights. Inside a haven of elegant comfort, a crackling fireplace warms your toes while you sip a glass of local wine and lose yourself in a good book. Sounds like a dream, right? It’s your reality at this unforgettable Airbnb in New Paltz, NY.

Escape the Ordinary: A Classic Wellness Travel Getaway with Modern Twists in New Paltz, NY – Hudson Valley Wellness Travel – Presented by Alluvion Vacations

Step Back in Time with Modern Touches:

This unique gem blends the grandeur of classical architecture with the sleek convenience of modern amenities. Picture a beautifully renovated colonial, nestled amidst towering pines on a private lane. As you step through the threshold, the open floor plan welcomes you with warm light and a blend of timeless elegance and contemporary style. The living room invites cozy evenings by the fireplace, while the spacious dining room promises delightful feasts with loved ones. And the fully equipped kitchen? It’s a chef’s haven, ready to inspire culinary adventures using fresh local ingredients.

Beyond the Walls: Winter Delights in New Paltz:

This charming Airbnb isn’t just a cozy sanctuary; it’s a gateway to a winter wonderland. Explore quaint Main Street, adorned with festive decorations, and browse unique shops brimming with artisan crafts and local treasures. Warm up with a steaming cup of coffee at a cozy cafe, or indulge in a decadent brunch at a farm-to-table restaurant.

For the adventurous, the surrounding landscape offers a playground of winter activities. Lace up your snowshoes and embark on a serene trek through pristine forests, or glide across frozen lakes on a thrilling ice skating adventure. Take in breathtaking panoramas from atop the majestic Shawangunk Ridge, or challenge yourself on the slopes of nearby ski resorts.

Business & Leisure, Perfectly Blended:

This versatile Airbnb caters to every need. Business travelers will appreciate the high-speed Wi-Fi and dedicated workspace, ensuring productivity even amidst the wintery charm. And after a day of meetings, unwind by the fireplace with a glass of wine, or gather colleagues for a convivial dinner in the spacious dining room.

For vacationers, the home offers a cozy retreat after a day of exploring. Curl up with a good book in the sun-drenched living room, or get creative in the well-equipped kitchen. Host game nights with friends, or simply embrace the tranquility of the private setting, surrounded by nature’s wintery beauty.

// Book this New Paltz Home on Airbnb >>

More than just a vacation rental, this Airbnb is an experience. It’s a chance to reconnect with yourself, loved ones, and the magic of a small town bathed in winter’s gentle embrace. So pack your bags, grab your mittens, and book your escape to this enchanting corner of New Paltz. Let the classical charm and modern comforts welcome you in, and create memories that will forever warm your heart.

Immerse yourself in the therapeutic embrace of wellness travel amid the enchanting winter landscapes of New Paltz. Beyond the physical comforts of the Airbnb, the profound wellness and mental health benefits unfold as you step into nature’s sanctuary. The towering pines stand as silent sentinels, their crisp scent mingling with the invigorating winter air, creating a haven for rejuvenation.

Winter, with its pristine white canvas, invites you to embark on a journey of forest bathing. As you tread softly through the snow-covered trails, the hush of your footsteps harmonizes with the gentle rustle of pine branches overhead. This immersive experience transcends the ordinary; it becomes a mindful practice, a form of meditation that connects you with the serene beauty of the natural world.

The crunch of snow beneath your boots serves as a rhythmic backdrop, grounding you in the present moment. Studies have shown that exposure to nature, especially during winter, can alleviate stress and enhance overall well-being. The tranquility of the snowy landscape, coupled with the subtle fragrance of pine, creates a sensory symphony that soothes the mind and uplifts the spirit.

In this peaceful retreat, the winter wonderland becomes a canvas for self-discovery and mental rejuvenation. The symbiotic relationship between nature and well-being is amplified in the crisp air and the untouched beauty of the surroundings. It’s not just a getaway; it’s a holistic experience that nourishes both body and soul, offering a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

As you continue your sojourn through the winter-kissed trails, let the tall pines and the invigorating chill guide you towards a state of inner balance. The therapeutic effects of nature, coupled with the modern comforts of the Airbnb, create a harmonious blend that fosters holistic well-being. So, bask in the stillness of the snow-laden landscape, breathe in the pure mountain air, and let the wellness benefits of winter travel envelop you in a cocoon of tranquility. This is not just a vacation; it’s a journey towards a revitalized and refreshed version of yourself.

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Experience the Allure of the Hudson Valley at the Alluvion A-Frame Farmhouse near New Paltz

Hudson Valley Mixology: Crafting the Perfect Spring Cocktail Inspired by Nature

Escape the Ordinary: Embrace Free National Park Days for Epic Adventures (2024)

A re you ready to explore the beauty of nature and make memories with your family? Pack up for an adventure to one (or many) of America’s 420+ national parks, but you won’t need more than just a wallet full of smiles.

The National Park Service will waive entrance fees on five (5) free national park days in 2024! There are also other ways to get discounted and free national park passes that give you a full year of free park admission. So what are you waiting for? Get ready for an adventure with your family!

Free National Park Days 2024

What you should know about national park fee-free days, 4th grade national park pass, america the beautiful access pass, military annual access pass, military lifetime access pass, america the beautiful national parks and federal recreational lands pass, america the beautiful senior pass, ready to start planning your trip use these helpful links to book your trip.

With a little planning, you can unlock some of America’s most spectacular national parks for free. The NPS free days listed below coincide with national holidays.

It’s true that many of the national parks are free year-round, but there are 107 NPS sites across the country that charge admission fees . These include Acadia, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton , Rocky Mountain National Park , and Yellowstone which charge anywhere from $5 to $35 most days of the year. But if you plan your national park trips around the 5 national free days, you can save money and enjoy more of America’s natural wonders without paying a penny.

Mark your calendars now!

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 15, 2024
• First Day of National Park Week – April 20, 202 4
• Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors – August 4, 2024
• National Public Lands Day – September 24, 2023
• Veterans Day – November 11, 202 4

Admission and/or transportation entrance fees are waived on the national park free days, but other fees such as those for camping, boat launches, tours and facilities, may still apply.

Related : Here are my best tips for camping inside the national parks .

Not all parks participate in national park fee-free days . For example, the national parks in Hawaii and other organic parks like national monuments, national seashores, national battlefields, or national historical sites may not participate. To find out whether your favorite park is participating in national free day events, check out the National Park Service website for more information.

Some parks require a reservation or timed entry ticket to enter , so it’s wise to plan in advance. A few include:

• Acadia’s Summit Road up to Cadillac Mountain will require vehicle registration from June through October.
• Arches National Park will require entrance tickets  April 1 to Oct. 31
• Glacier National Park has four areas that will each require vehicle registration .
• Rocky Mountain National Park will require timed entry tickets May 26 to October 22

Be aware that parks may become crowded during national park fee-free days. Arrive early to secure a parking spot.

Related: Visiting Canada and want to explore a Parks Canada location? Children ages 17 and younger visit any of these National Parks free.

Can’t decide which park to visit first? See these guides for more on the best things to do in each:

• 25 Entertaining Family Activities in Hot Springs, Arkansas
• Mammoth Cave National Park – 5 Best Cave Tours for Families
• Visitors’ Guide to Joshua Tree National Park
• Our Guide to Help Plan Your Trip to Mesa Verde National Park
• The 5 Best Moab RV Parks For Your Type of Vacation Experience

Other Ways to Visit the National Parks for FREE

There are a number of ways to get a free annual park pass too.

The NPS offers a free Annual 4th Grade Pass which is valid for the duration of a student’s fourth-grade school year through the following summer. It grants free access/admission to national parks and other federal recreation sites managed by the NPS, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation. This pass is good for the student and anyone in the vehicle with them.

U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a disability can get an access pass that grants unlimited access/admission to national parks and other federal recreation sites. Apply in person at a federal site or mail in the application.

Active duty military members and their dependents also receive free annual national park passes.

Gold star families and veterans are eligible for a free national park pass that never expires.

See the National Park Service website for more information on each of these access passes.

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Discounted National Park Admission Pass

Outside of the free national park days, individual US National Park fees for admission range from $3 to $35. If you plan to visit multiple parks or return several times, it saves you money to buy an annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for $80.

This access pass includes entrance fees to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all US national parks that charge an entrance fee outside the free National Park days. The annual pass also covers amenity and day-use fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas. For sites that charge per person, the pass includes up to four adults. Children age 15 or under are admitted for free.

I buy this pass at REI for the sale $80 in the park, plus REI Coop donates 10% of each pass sale to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities. You can also buy it online, at national park visitor centers, or through authorized national park pass resellers.

U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are 62 and older can enjoy national parks for a discounted rate of $20 with the America the Beautiful Senior Pass. The pass grants unlimited access/admission to national parks and other federal recreation sites managed by the NPS, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation.

Visiting your favorite park on one of these free national park days is a great way to get outdoors and save some money. If you qualify for one of the free park passes, you can get out even more.

Before you start planning your next visit to one of the National Parks, read up on these other national parks article:

• 411 Before Visiting National Parks
• Tips for getting the most out of your National Park
• What You’ll Need for a Fun Family Road Trip + Weekend Packing List

Hiking Gear for National Parks

Outdoor gear for exploring national parks.

Take advantage of National Park Free days and be prepared for anything in the great outdoors. These are a few of my favorite essentials for exploring. Make sure you check the weather forecast before you head out as weather can change suddenly in many locations.

Coleman Camping Tent with Instant Setup

This waterproof Coleman tent is a breeze to set up and perfect for larger families or if you just need place to stash your gear. Camping under the stars in a national park is a memory you'll keep forever.

Aurosports 10x25 Binoculars

Keep these compact binoculars in your car or backpack. They have a comfortable large eyepiece and are easy to hang on to - even for younger kids.

Kelty Cosmic 20 Degree 550 Down Fill Sleeping Bag

Three season camping has never been more comfortable. These down bags will keep you cozy without getting overheated.

Sun Zapper Zinc Oxide Sunscreen

Sunscreen is not just for summer. Some of my worst sunburns have happened under cold, crisp winter skies. I love these sticks to keep in every bag so I am never without protection.

FalconTac 200 Pieces First Aid Kit

This is one of those products you hope you'll never need, but you'll be glad you have it if you need it. This pack has everything you'll need for basic first aid out on the trails.

Osprey Daylite Pack

When you're taking shorter hikes, a day pack is essential. Osprey bags have just enough room for your water bottle, jacket, and snacks. The straps are so comfortable, too.

Leki Legacy Lite Trekking Poles

Trekking poles give a little extra stability on uneven ground and loose rock. Leki poles are sturdy and light.

LifeStraw Water Filter

You never know when you might need clean water to drink. Lifestraws are easy to pack and have with you in case of emergencies.

Knockaround Polarized Sunglasses

Protect your eyes with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. The sun is bright up in the mountains and in the desert. all year round. Sunglasses are essential

YETI Rambler 26 oz Bottle, Vacuum Insulated, Stainless Steel with Straw Cap, Cosmic Lilac

I love stainless steel water bottles for keeping my water cold on the trail. Yeti bottles are high quality. Get one for everybody in the family.

Patagonia Rain Jackets

Be prepared for any kind of weather when hiking through the national parks with Patagonia rain jackets. They are waterproof, breathable, and will last for years to come.

These will help you have a family adventure outdoors that will be spectacular!! Which national park will you visit first?

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• From hotels to private homes, find the perfect accommodation with  Hotels.com  or  booking.com.
• For camping and RV campgrounds, find the ideal location with Campspot .
• Travel in style with a suitcase, carry-on, backpack, or handbag from  Away and Eagle Creek .
• For packing cubes, we love these from Eagle Creek and these reusable silicon bags for a 3-1-1 bag from Stasher .
• Looking to start travel hacking and want a place to keep track of it all? There’s the free TravelFreely site.
• For budgeting help, get our road trip budgeting tips here.
• Tiqets for cultural events, museums, Broadway shows, etc.
• CityPASS for multi-day attraction passes at up to 55% off in select cities
• Get Your Guide and Viator for guided tours/excursions, day trips, and activitties
• Groupon for discounted local attractions and event tickets
• Undercover Tourister for discounted theme park tickets
• Find guided outdoor activities led by local guides at 57Hours .
• Find information on local trails with the AllTrails App .
• We use and recommend Rosetta Stone to learn a new language. We bought the $179 lifetime option with unlimited access to ALL 25 of their languages.
• Need something else to plan your perfect trip? Visit my  travel resources page  for more trusted partners.

For more family travel inspiration, check out our latest posts here:

• Top 18 Attractions and Fun Things to Do in Montenegro with Teens
• Embark on a HokieBird Family Adventure: Exploring Blacksburg, VA 
• Smart Preparation: Securing Your Family’s Travel Documents Ahead of Time
• Discovering Coastal Charm: Your Family’s Guide to Exploring the Oregon Coast
• How to Best Prepare for a Cross-Country Road Trip with Your Family
• More Family Fun For Less with OKC Venture Pass ($5 off coupon)

The post Escape the Ordinary: Embrace Free National Park Days for Epic Adventures (2024) appeared first on Little Family Adventure .

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‘I Saw the TV Glow’ Review: How We Used to Escape

An outstanding not-quite-horror film about being a fan just before the internet took over.

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By Alissa Wilkinson

We’ve forgotten how hard being a fan used to be. You had to labor at it in multiple media: scouring listings and keeping tabs on schedules, reading books of lore and compiling episode recaps. Pop culture was built around presence, real physical presence: To see the latest episode of “The X-Files” or “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” you had to show up at your TV when it aired. If you missed a key episode, you were out of luck, unless someone remembered to tape it for you, at least until it went into reruns or syndication. And if your taste ran to the niche, discovering that someone else loved the same thing you loved felt revelatory, like you’d stumbled upon a person who spoke a language only you could understand.

The social internet, algorithms and streaming blew most of this up, shoving our favorites at us and making them available all the time. Some of the magic disappeared as well, the uncanny immersive quality. You can bury yourself in a binge-watch for a day or a week, but then it’s over, no long in-between stretches to hash out each episode. Sustaining a relationship with the world a show built is still possible; connecting with others over your shared love is preposterously easy. Something, however, has been lost.

“I Saw the TV Glow” captures this obsessive, anticipatory submersion in a long-form weekly TV show, to the point where it ignites the same feeling. A lot of movies tell you stories, but the films of the writer and director Jane Schoenbrun evoke them; to borrow a term, they’re a vibe. Like “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” Schoenbrun’s previous film, this one isn’t quite horror, but it gives you the same kind of scalp crawl. In this case I think it’s the mark of recognition, of feeling a tug at your subconscious. It’s oddly hard to put into words.

“We’re All Going to the World’s Fair” was the tale of a lonely teenager living in the oddness of our internet era, where intimacy is free and plentiful and confusing and could be dangerous, or could be banal. “I Saw the TV Glow” dials that same tone back a generation, centering on a couple of lonely teenagers who find one another through a show called “The Pink Opaque.” It’s a mash-up show, instantly recognizable in its own way: It airs on something called the Young Adult Network (clearly a stand-in for The WB, the teen-focused TV network that turned into The CW) at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday nights, a time reserved for shows barely hanging on by a thread. The opening credits we glimpse suggest the show is “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”-adjacent (it even uses the same typeface), but with elements reminiscent of “The X-Files” and “Twin Peaks” — in all these cases, not exactly horror, but not quite anything else. (There’s also a band in the show, one that apparently performs a song in every episode, which plays expertly tuned mid-90s teen-show music; the musicians are Phoebe Bridgers and Haley Dahl.)

“I Saw the TV Glow” is set in 1996, right at the moment when entertainment was about to dive over the cliff and become what media theorists sometimes refer to as convergence culture . Back then, TV was still a few years away from being participatory for most youthful viewers. The internet wasn’t mature enough yet for the majority of teens to really haunt it, and those who did were posting on the kinds of message boards and websites that would eventually come to define both the TV and the fan-driven internet of the early aughts. (“The X-Files,” for instance, which premiered in 1993, was one of the first shows with a developed online fandom; they communicated through a Usenet newsgroup.) If you knew how to find message boards and chat rooms, you might have bonded with other fans. But if you were just a kid at home in the suburbs, you were most likely planning your schedule around episodes.

The story of “I Saw the TV Glow” mostly belongs to Owen (played as a seventh grader by Ian Foreman, and then from high school up by Justice Smith). He is nervous and anxious and sheltered, but he catches an ad for an episode of “The Pink Opaque.” He doesn’t know what it is, but he’s obsessed. One day, waiting for his parents to finish voting in the school cafeteria, he wanders into a room and finds Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) reading a book that recaps episodes of the show. Maddy explains the show to Owen: It’s about two girls, Tara (Lindsey Jordan, the musician Snail Mail) and Isabel (Helena Howard), who meet at camp and discover they share a connection that enables them to fight that most stalwart trope of ’90s TV dramas: the Monster of the Week. There’s a Big Bad in their world, too — the mysterious Man in the Moon named Mr. Melancholy. Owen is even more consumed.

Owen’s father won’t let him stay up to watch the show, but Maddy and Owen concoct a way to make it happen. This is where “I Saw the TV Glow” starts to leave the realm of straightforward plot and slip-slide into some nether region at the intersection of fantasy, nostalgia, fear and longing. Escapism has always belonged to children’s literature, fantastical other worlds into which we might leave the ordinary behind and discover ourselves special. Owen and Maddy are trapped in their own worlds, but “The Pink Opaque” gives them the sense that a parallel dimension might be where they really belong.

There’s a heartbreak at the center of this film that made me gasp to see it, an acknowledgment that sometimes it’s better not to go back to what we once loved because now, in the cold light of adulthood, it all looks very different. There are other layers, too: implications that awakenings around gender dysphoria and sexuality are tied up in the teens’ obsession with the show, though they barely understand. Even more broadly, the immense pain of pushing down your true self, and the brittle breaking of that shell, is woven throughout.

But what’s most effective, and staggering, is Schoenbrun’s storytelling, which weaves together half-remembered childhood elements in the way they might turn up in a nightmare, weaving in sounds and lights and colors and the gloriously inexplicable. Teenage malaise, untreated, can sour into an adult psychic prison; the TV is just one way that we escape.

I Saw the TV Glow Rated PG-13 for some really trippy stuff. Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes. In theaters.

Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She’s been writing about movies since 2005. More about Alissa Wilkinson

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• Missing zebra finally recovered near North Bend

The missing zebra, a Western Washington sensation, was found Friday night near North Bend after nearly a week on the loose.

The mare, whose name Sugar, or Shug for short, was publicly revealed Friday, escaped from her owner’s trailer April 28 in North Bend along with three other zebras. The three were quickly corralled while Shug continued to roam , attract all kinds of attention , and likely walked hundreds of miles while never getting very far.

Shug, misidentified as a stallion for much of the week, was spotted and recovered just before 8 p.m. in the Riverbend community south of North Bend.

“We’d like to thank everyone who assisted us in this successful effort by calling in sightings and sharing information on the zebra’s location,” said Tim Anderson, operations manager for Regional Animal Services of King County. “Our community in King County really came together to help Shug, and we wouldn’t have been able to do our work without their support.”

The details weren’t all in hand late Friday, said Cameron Satterfield, spokesperson for Regional Animal Services of King County. But somehow, a group of ordinary folks along with animal control officers got the zebra into a pen. Then, a trailer.

A news release on Saturday said it took about three hours to get Shug into the trailer. After a quick examination, animal services officials deemed Shug to be in good health

“She looks pretty healthy,” Satterfield said.

Zebras eat mostly grass and leaves, so Shug probably did fine in that regard, and maybe found water at Rattlesnake Lake, Satterfield said.

“We’ve all had to become zebra experts” over the last days, Satterfield said.

Despite her stint as Western Washington’s zebra influencer, it became time for Shug to finish the trip to Montana, where the four zebras were headed before they escaped Sunday.

The owner was moving the animals from Winlock in Lewis County to Anaconda, Mont., when she stopped near Exit 32 on Interstate 90, to fix a problem with the trailer, according to Regional Animal Services. When she went to secure the trailer, all four zebras bolted . Three were recaptured in a few hours.

The fourth, affectionately dubbed “Z” by amused, worried and fascinated residents, made her way around the foothills of the Cascades. People caught glimpses, posted memes , and made dozens of calls to animal services, and more to 911, to report sightings.

Regional Animal Services is still investigating the escape and capture of the zebras. That could take weeks. Additionally, the news release said the owner could face fines, depending on the results of the investigation.

But now, with the search for Z concluded, we say goodbye to Shug.

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