The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary

5/5 🏆(We should petition for an actual Dundie emoji...)

It is no question that I LOVE anything to do with The Office. In fact, I've added probably 7 new Pop Funkos since this picture was taken. Anyway, I know most people don't like adaptations and money making things, but this book was wonderful! The storyline wasn't even that great, but the pictures were so cute, I truly didn't mind.

I don't even know what to write here. I guess I can write about what The Office means to me. I first watched it when it came out, but I was much too young to understand the humor and perfection. I watched it the second time my freshman year of college. I watched as I was battling a small bout of depression. I had battled depression before, but freshman year was something else entirely. My roommates constantly made fun of me and I didn't feel like I fit in with my hallmates. All anyone wanted to do was party, and I just wanted to watch comedy and read books. I felt like an outcast and like something was wrong with me. When I started watching The Office. I felt a sense of comfort in the "imperfect" cast.

The third time I rewatched the show was my sophomore year of college. I had just come back from studying abroad and was the most depressed I'd ever been. I moved into a random room with a man who smoked weed 24/7. I hated my major and lost any friends I had made because I was now a semester behind. I truly felt like I was going nowhere. Watching The Office was the only bright spot in what felt like engulfing darkness. I even bought the DVDs and watched every piece of bonus materials I could get my hands on. This truly was the only thing keeping me from crying or staring at a wall 100% of the day.

The fourth time I rewatched the series was when I moved to Boston my senior year. The move was hard for me. I had changed my major, made friends, and found my first love the year before. As all my friends graduated and my boyfriend went to grad school, I decided to follow my dream of working in publishing. Unfortunately, the long distance was hard (we're still together, though, so happy ending there:)) and the publishing industry wasn't the dream I thought it would be. While I wasn't as depressed as I was two years before, this time, I had anxiety tacked on. Panic attacks in the kitchen were common and I felt I could barely function. When all seemed hopeless, I restarted season 1 and found a sense of happiness even in the darkest of times. I think I rewatched the series at least 3 more times during my year living in Boston. Once again, it was the one thing keeping a smile on my face and reminding me that even the most mundane parts of life are still worth living.

For me, The Office has been a comforting security blanket. While I still love, I am proud to say I haven't had to rewatch the series in two years because I've coped with my emotions and changed my life for the better. As cheesy as it is, however, I do owe this show some credit for saving my life. When this book came out, I was in my last semester of grad school to become a school librarian and it felt perfect. I want to teach elementary school students and I read picture books constantly. I don't know how else to say it but that the timing of this book felt like a sign that I was on the right path.

Long story short, I think my opinion is biased, but this could be one of the best books of 2020 :)