I’d like to preface this article with saying that I’m an English major, so my relationships with books are all over the place. I’ve been known to finish a book in a day and never pick it up again, a one-night stand situation you could say. I don’t need to see that book again; I don’t need to pick it back up. Sometimes I have several year romances with books that never seem to totally leave me as I find myself picking up the same book again and again.
But I never had a real, committed relationship with a series until I picked up the A Song of Fire and Ice, or as the popular HBO calls it after its principal book, Game of Thrones (henceforth referred to as GoT). It’s had its ups and downs, but has ultimately lasted the longest out of any of my book relationships.
The story of our relationship started the spring of my junior year, when I first learned of the series’ name. I even watched the first three seasons of the show on HBO. That was just a tease, our initial courtship I would say.
I bought the books for some summer reading. But damn, they came with some baggage because all five books exceed 800 pages. That’s a lot of commitment right off the bat. I couldn’t find the time for them. Because, truth was, I was going to London for the summer and I didn’t want to be tied down. What if I wanted a whirlwind romance with a British novel? Or an Irish poet? I had GoT’s number and shot him a few texts over the summer by occasionally cracking the book open – ultimately nothing came of it.
Finally London came to a close, and I found myself lonely, poor and jobless in my hometown for August. It was time to hit up that old crush GoT! That’s when the passion started. After the first few pages I was hooked. We hung out every day and I even took GoT to my cottage for several days of vacation bliss. I read the first two in that first month – even my mom noticed that we were moving a little fast, but I didn’t care, I was addicted.
But even the most the most blissful honeymoon phase of a relationship must come to an end. Sometimes you realize you should probably spend some time with your friends. School started and I had to put down the third book, A Storm of Swords, to go to senior bar nights and cheer on powder puff games with my friends.
And most everyone knows balancing a relationship at Albion is hard, your significant other is constantly there, just a few feet away. It’s hard to say no to hanging out and spend time with other people. So GoT and I tried to balance out my commitment to The Pleiad, the swim team and my sorority with our passionate romance.
Around rolled Janurary and I knew we were ready for our first serious vacation together. GoT and I flew down to Florida to spend a week in Ft. Lauderdale while I was on my swim training trip.
Phew, we could not keep our hands off of each other. We didn’t care where we were or who saw us. The beach, poolside, the bathroom, my hotel bedroom—I was physically addicted.
Now that we’ve calmed down and we are back in school again, although it’s love, I need to devote some time to my studies and to my friends. I’m on the Feast for Crows finally, and I feel like we’re going to do something pretty special together for our one-year this spring. The road ahead of us looks bright as the next two titles of the series were released. I may have to tell my sorority to expect a ceremony sometime soon.
Photo by Claire Van Raaphorst
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