How to Time Travel

Have you ever wished you could travel back in time? Not because there was some grave error you wanted to warn your past self to avoid—paradoxes that way lie—but because you are bored of the modern status quo.

I actually don’t know what the modern status quo is, but I would imagine it gets boring. So, I wanted to share my tips for anyone who wants to get started in time travelling. It’s not as hard as you might think.

First and foremost, you’ll need books. One or two hundred should be enough for the beginner. These can be checked out at the library, but remember that librarians may not be time travelers and will enforce due dates. I cannot stress the importance of books enough. To paraphrase Emily Dickinson, books are boats. Books are allowed to break the laws of nature. Through them, you can travel anywhere and anywhen.

Second, have one or two clocks that tick. Let’s face it, you gotta hand it to our cell phones for convenience, but there is just something about old-fashioned clocks. Whether it’s a tiny watch or a grandfather clock in the corner, watching a secondhand tick round and round in a dusty library is a great way to feel like a time traveler. Additional bonus: when you wind the clock, it is whatever time you say it is.

Third, familiarize yourself with your local thrift store scene. Sure, they are often filled with the bizarre leftovers of 2013 trends, but the seasoned pro can spot treasures. Thrift stores are great places to locate the previous items on this list. They also can be troves of bargains on all the mysterious, studious garments you will need. Coats are always great to find, especially ones with many pockets to carry your books, watches, fountain pens, and other interesting doodads.

Finally, be yourself and be insatiably curious. If time travelers can’t have quirks, then who can? The entire point is shaking off the status quo. Be unabashedly passionate about the things that interest you—there are probably a lot if they transcend time periods. Read across genres. Spend an hour or two researching an obscure historical fact you stumbled across. Collect something that you love, even if you don’t have a good reason for your fascination.

Amongst heaps of writing advice, I heard something along the lines of “write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.” I try to do both.

Life and writing are simple. Live by the rule of the time traveler: be interesting.

“Have fun, even if it’s not the same kind of fun everyone else is having.” – C.S. Lewis