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Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

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Page 1: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Page 2: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Dis

neyl

and

with

my

fam

ily J

ILL

| Mar

ryin

g m

y be

st f

rien

d, J

ustin

JO

RD

AN

| N

apa

with

gir

lfrie

nds,

win

e, c

hees

e N

IKI |

Tra

vel t

he w

orld

with

fri

ends

ME

ND

Y |

Col

lege

fo

otba

ll Sa

turd

ay w

ith fa

mily

SC

OTT

| A

nyth

ing

with

my

peop

le in

volv

ed A

MY

| Pi

lotin

g a

bipl

ane

and

hang

glid

ing

SAR

A |

Sing

ing

with

life

long

fri

ends

JE

NI |

Day

s sp

ent a

t the

lake

AM

Y |

Bru

nch

with

frie

nds

REB

ECC

A |

Trav

elin

g th

e w

orld

for

one

year

ALI

SON

| Fu

ture

trav

els

whe

n w

e’re

mar

ried

CA

RA

| Tr

avel

ing.

Rea

ding

. Bea

ch.

Coff

eeho

use.

Qui

et. A

SHLE

Y |

Eatin

g fo

od a

nd lo

ving

peo

ple

LEA

H |

Men

tori

ng t

een

girl

s B

ETH

| P

uppi

es, fl

ower

s, s

unsh

ine,

laug

hing

, con

fett

i CA

ITLY

N |

Tim

e w

ith

daug

hter

and

hus

band

KAT

IE |

Coo

king

din

ner

with

my

husb

and

JEN

NE

E |

A f

un fa

mily

tri

p W

HIT

NEY

| Lo

ng d

rive

s lis

teni

ng t

o po

dcas

ts R

AC

HA

EL

| Wor

ship

ping

at

chur

ch T

YLE

R |

Snug

gles

with

my

new

est

baby

MO

NIC

A |

Bei

ng c

row

ned

quee

n of

bir

thda

ys R

AC

HEL

| H

ikin

g in

a n

atio

nal p

ark

AN

DR

EA |

A t

rip

arou

nd t

he W

OR

LD

LISA

| Fu

ll ho

use,

food

, fam

ily, f

rien

ds H

OLL

Y |

Doi

ng L

IFE

with

my

Eddi

e B

RO

OK

E |

Sum

mer

vac

atio

n in

Ava

lon,

NJ

AM

AN

DA

| B

eing

with

my

favo

rite

peo

ple

AB

BEY

GR

AC

E |

Seei

ng m

y pa

rent

s be

gra

ndpa

rent

s B

RIT

TAN

Y |

Win

e ni

ght

with

my

girl

s JU

LIE |

Min

iBFF

tim

e M

EL

| Hik

ing

a ne

w t

rail

MEG

. | T

rave

ling

acro

ss t

he c

ount

ry

JAM

IE |

Gir

ls’ t

rip

with

my

frie

nds

JASM

INE

| Bea

ch v

acat

ion

with

my

husb

and

AM

BER

| G

elat

o in

Rom

e w

ith B

FFs

KAT

IE |

Eatin

g pi

zza

in b

ed K

AIT

LIN

| D

isne

y w

ith m

y hu

sban

d JE

NN

IFER

| Ro

ad t

rip w

ith fa

mily

BET

SY |

Witn

essi

ng m

y oh

ana

expe

rienc

e JO

Y K

IM |

Trip

to

Mai

ne in

fall

SAR

AH

| A

sec

ond

hone

ymoo

n to

Eur

ope

JOR

DA

N |

Bea

ch, g

olde

n re

trie

vers

, hus

band

, mai

tai

KAT

E |

Read

ing

book

s w

ith

a ca

ppuc

cino

JE

NA

| Re

adin

g a

book

aft

er s

leep

ing

in K

RIS

TIN

| W

atch

ing

an in

cred

ible

do

cum

enta

ry A

NN

A |

Cam

ping

& s

occe

r w

ith s

on N

ATE |

Qui

et c

offee

with

a v

iew

BE

KA

H |

Chr

istm

as in

New

Yor

k C

ity E

MIL

Y |

Vani

lla c

hai a

t E

bene

zer’s

CA

LLIE

| C

urlin

g up

by

a fir

e A

BBY

| Le

arni

ng s

omet

hing

new

MA

RY |

Irel

and

with

my

who

le fa

mily

JEN

ICE

| Vac

ay in

New

Yor

k G

ABY

| N

o-sm

artp

hone

fam

ily g

ame

wee

kend

SU

SAN

| Re

adin

g at

the

bea

ch R

AC

HE

L | S

atur

day

mor

ning

run

s w

ith M

ark

MA

RC

IE |

Hik

ing

to b

eaut

iful w

ater

falls

SA

M |

Kic

king

thr

ough

fall

leav

es A

MY

| Tr

avel

ing

with

my

fam

ily P

OLL

Y |

Win

dow

-sho

ppin

g w

ith ic

ed c

offee

JO

RD

AN

| B

akin

g w

ith m

y gr

andc

hild

ren

CAT

HY

| Te

a &

a g

ood

book

LIS

A |

Lead

ing

Youn

g Li

fe w

ith m

y hu

sban

d E

MIL

Y |

Get

ting

bubb

le t

ea w

ith f

rien

ds R

ILLI

AN

| H

eadi

ng o

ut t

o th

e la

ke A

LI |

Wee

klon

g fr

amily

bea

ch v

acat

ion

CRY

STA

L | R

idin

g ho

rses

with

my

frie

nds

ME

RE

DIT

H |

Read

ing

on a

rai

ny d

ay C

AIT

LIN

| Te

x-M

ex p

atio

din

ner

with

fri

ends

PA

IGE |

Pla

ying

pra

nks

on m

y hu

sban

d B

RE |

Kaya

king

with

my

neph

ews

EVO

NN

A |

Wat

chin

g su

nset

s at

the

beac

h B

RIT

TAN

Y |

Spen

ding

tim

e w

ith p

eopl

e LA

UR

A |

Rid

ing

bike

s al

ong

the

beac

h R

OX

AN

N |

Goi

ng to

Dis

ney

Wor

ld R

AC

HEL

| St

rolli

ng a

roun

d a

bota

nica

l gar

den

JILL

AIN

E | D

eboa

rdin

g ai

rpla

ne, p

assp

ort

in h

and

CA

ITLI

N |

Esca

pe r

oom

with

frie

nds

CO

UR

TNEY

| G

oing

for

a ru

n JA

CK

IE |

Trav

elin

g w

ith fr

iend

s H

EATH

ER |

Seei

ng a

n O

scar

mov

ie to

geth

er M

ICH

AEL

| Tw

eedl

ing

with

my

best

frie

nd M

AR

IAN

NE

| Thr

u-hi

king

the

App

alac

hian

Tra

il C

IND

Y |

Trav

elin

g an

d ex

plor

ing

the

wor

ld K

YLI

E | W

ine

and

chee

se w

ith fr

iend

s K

AEL

YN

| W

atch

ing

Ala

bam

a fo

otba

ll in

Tus

calo

osa

LAU

RA

| D

oing

cra

fts

with

my

niec

e R

ENEE

| B

akin

g da

y w

ith fr

iend

s K

AYLI

| Sp

endi

ng q

ualit

y tim

e w

ith fr

iend

s N

ATA

LIE

| Chr

istm

as. C

ampfi

res.

Sco

oter

s. B

each

trip

s. K

AYLA

| A

nnua

l sis

ters

’ wee

kend

s si

nce

200

6 A

MY

| A

lone

tim

e an

d So

nic

tea

SAR

AH

| B

FF, m

e, N

YC

boo

ksto

re c

raw

l MIC

HEL

E | C

ooki

ng fo

r sp

ecia

l fam

ily m

eals

CIN

DY

| R

idin

g bi

ke a

t th

e be

ach

DO

NN

A |

Goi

ng h

ikin

g w

ith m

y fa

mily

A

ND

REA

| H

avin

g a

kitc

hen

danc

e pa

rty

OLI

VIA

| B

each

es, f

amily

, boo

ks, f

riend

s, c

ooki

ng C

ATH

RYN

| G

oing

to

the

beac

h R

OX

AN

NE

| Cud

dlin

g w

ith m

y ad

orab

le b

aby

LEA

NN

A |

Spen

ding

tim

e w

ith m

y bo

ys P

AM

| Tr

avel

with

out

fear

s or

hes

itatio

ns S

TAC

EY |

Chr

istm

as li

ghts

& H

allm

ark

mov

ies

LIV

| G

oing

on

a hi

ke J

ESS

ICA

| M

eetin

g D

ansb

y at

Sun

Trus

t JI

LL |

Goi

ng o

n an

Ala

skan

cru

ise

STA

CY

| W

atch

ing

@ly

diat

aylo

rr d

ance

SU

SIE |

Coff

ee w

ith K

ayla

AU

BR

EY |

Snow

y da

y an

d ch

ai la

ttes

SO

FIA

| C

offee

with

fri

ends

BR

ITTA

NY

| C

heer

ing

on M

K n

ext

wee

kend

KR

IST

YN

| La

ughi

ng a

bout

life

with

oth

ers

GIN

NY

| A

boo

k on

the

bea

ch C

OU

RTN

EY |

Tryi

ng a

new

re

cipe

ALL

EA

| Fa

bulo

us fo

rty-

year

fri

ends

pod

cast

JU

LEE |

Bei

ng w

ith a

ll m

y pe

ople

ME

LISS

A |

Bei

ng c

alle

d A

unt

Ban

ana

AN

NA

MC

CO

LLU

M |

Them

ed d

inne

r pa

rty

with

frie

nds

AN

NE

| Hav

ing

frie

nds

over

for

dinn

er G

ABY

| A

rel

axin

g ho

t ba

th L

IZZI

E | D

inne

r an

d th

eatr

e w

ith g

irlfr

iend

s N

ICK

Y |

Tim

e w

ith m

y ad

ult

daug

hter

s JE

N |

Padd

lebo

ardi

ng w

ith m

y pe

ople

KAT

IE |

Runn

ing

a fu

ll m

arat

hon

KAT

| Sp

a da

y w

ith g

irlfr

iend

s M

ARY

GR

AC

E | S

wim

min

g on

a s

unny

day

KY

LIE

| Ass

istin

g in

a h

eart

su

rger

y EM

ILY

| H

ot c

hoco

late

and

a b

ook

NIC

OLE

| W

ine

tast

ing

with

bes

t frie

nds

MEL

| Tr

avel

ing

with

my

husb

and

AN

AB

EL |

Coff

ee, f

riend

s, c

ake,

and

cha

ttin

g B

RIT

TAN

Y |

That Sounds

Fun

_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 3_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 3 9/15/20 9:02 AM9/15/20 9:02 AM

Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.

Page 3: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Coff

ee w

ith

my

best

fri

end

MIK

AYLA

| Tr

avel

ing

the

wor

ld w

ith

fam

ily L

IESL

| H

oldi

ng a

bab

y ch

imp

LOR

I | N

urse

fri

ends

dri

nkin

g w

ine

toge

ther

SA

RA

H |

Skiin

g do

wn

a m

ajes

tic

snow

y m

ount

ain

PAM

| H

uggi

ng m

y m

ini d

onke

ys A

SHLE

Y |

Trav

elin

g th

e U

S an

d w

riti

ng A

LEYA

H |

Goi

ng t

o th

e be

ach

RU

TH |

90s

danc

e pa

rty

JEN

| Tr

ampo

line

exer

cise

cla

ss t

o m

usic

AM

AN

DA

| Ju

mpi

ng o

n tr

ampo

lines

AM

AN

DA

| P

layi

ng in

Wal

t D

isne

y W

orld

CA

RO

LYN

| Se

win

g qu

ilts

for

love

d on

es A

NN

E |

Bei

ng w

ith m

y pe

ople

CA

RR

IE |

Man

U g

ame

@ O

ld T

raffo

rd M

ELIS

SA |

To m

eet y

ou o

ver

coffe

e EM

MA

| B

ook,

bla

nket

, coff

ee K

AR

LA |

Expl

orin

g na

tiona

l par

ks S

AR

AH

| W

ine,

che

ese,

fri

ends

KA

RLA

| C

onne

ctin

g w

ith

othe

rs t

hrou

gh p

hoto

grap

hy A

NN

A |

Long

bat

h on

rai

ny d

ay T

AR

A |

Mee

ting

bel

ieve

rs a

t cr

aft

show

s B

RIT

TNE

Y |

Tim

e w

ith m

y pe

ople

RA

CH

EL

| Wat

chin

g el

epha

nts

in L

ake

Kari

ba S

TAC

EY |

Gam

e ni

ghts

with

my

frie

nds

AB

BY |

Todd

ler

toot

s an

d be

lly la

ughs

SA

RA

H |

Spen

ding

tim

e w

ith G

ram

ercy

Hop

e R

AC

HEL

| G

oing

to

coun

try

conc

erts

: ) J

OR

DA

N |

Unl

imite

d St

arbu

cks

in t

he b

each

BET

HA

NY

| Tu

bing

dow

n ou

r fa

rm r

apid

s ST

AC

EY |

Offi

ce

supp

ly s

hopp

ing

HE

ATH

ER

| Fr

iend

s &

food

aro

und

the

tabl

e H

OP

E |

Snor

kelin

g. R

eadi

ng. P

aint

ing.

Kay

akin

g. S

LEE

PIN

G. L

AU

RA

| W

atch

ing

Hal

lmar

k m

ovie

s w

ith

my

kitt

ies

JESS

IE |

Trav

elin

g w

ith m

y w

ife J

EFF

| Sw

imm

ing

with

dol

phin

s in

Mau

ritiu

s ST

AC

EY |

Wat

chin

g fo

otba

ll w

ith m

y fa

mily

SH

ELB

Y |

Com

bine

rid

es w

ith D

ad

ELI

ZA

BE

TH |

Snow

ski

ing

wit

h m

y hu

sban

d JE

SSIC

A |

Hos

ting

din

ner

part

ies

for

frie

nds

KAT

IE |

Enj

oyin

g th

e Te

xas

Hill

Cou

ntry

CH

ASI

TY

| C

hasi

ng L

uca

and

Jack

TI

FFA

NY

| C

hasi

ng d

ream

s w

ith m

y fa

mily

AM

AN

DA

| Lo

ng s

low

wal

ks o

n be

ach

AM

Y |

Dea

r on

es g

athe

r ar

ound

tab

le L

EA

NN

E |

Con

cert

s w

ith m

y w

ife B

EN

| Fa

mily

tr

ip t

o H

awai

i KR

ISTA

| Fa

rm-t

o-ta

ble

dinn

er a

t su

nset

JE

N |

Glo

bal i

ce c

ream

tas

ting

tour

LE

IGH

AN

N |

Puz

zlin

g w

ith m

y be

st f

rien

ds C

LAIR

E |

A M

urde

r, Sh

e W

rote

m

arat

hon

RA

CH

EL |

Hor

seba

ck ri

ding

ASH

LEY

| Ru

nnin

g be

side

a tr

ickl

ing

stre

am K

AEL

A |

Trav

el, f

amily

, foo

d, s

unri

ses

SAR

AH

| Ea

ting

food

and

doi

ng k

arao

ke C

AIL

YN

| Pl

ayin

g so

ngs

on in

stru

men

ts C

OLI

N |

Kitt

ens—

lots

of

kitt

ens

LEE

| Pla

ying

with

LEG

Os

LIA

M |

Der

by m

atch

at

Old

Tra

fford

BIL

L | M

ount

ain

biki

ng in

cri

sp w

eath

er

PO

LIN

A |

Read

ing

by t

he fi

repl

ace

RA

CH

EL

| A g

irls

’ tri

p to

Nas

hvill

e JO

NI |

Vac

atio

n w

ith m

y ne

w f

amily

EM

ILY

| W

indo

ws

dow

n, m

usic

up

ALI

| La

ughi

ng w

ith m

y bo

ys S

TEP

HA

NIE

| Ic

e-sk

atin

g pa

rty

with

frie

nds

AB

IGA

IL J

OY

| Q

ualit

y tim

e w

ith m

y be

stie

(s) W

ALL

Y |

Star

ting

and

grow

ing

my

busi

ness

CH

ERY

L | P

layi

ng w

ith L

EGO

s LI

AM

| A

long

wal

k on

bea

ch L

AU

REL

| Li

ving

on

a go

at fa

rm J

ENN

A |

Surfi

ng a

nd y

oga

TAY

LOR

| G

ood

book

& a

fter

noon

nap

BET

H |

Hik

ing

with

my

ups

EMM

A |

A t

rip

to A

lask

a SA

RA

H |

Padd

lebo

ardi

ng in

the

oce

an B

ECK

IE |

Trav

elin

g ab

road

with

incr

edib

le fr

iend

s C

AR

LY |

Bes

t fr

iend

s be

ach

trip

MEG

AN

| H

ot V

inya

sa y

oga

befo

re

cock

tails

PAT

IEN

CE |

Wal

king

bar

efoo

t in

the

gra

ss E

RIN

| A

vat

of

heal

thy

choc

olat

e K

IM |

Cha

sing

wat

erfa

lls a

roun

d th

e na

tion

TY

LER

| Fi

ndin

g ne

w lo

cal c

offee

sh

ops

BET

HA

NY

| C

reat

ing

fun

reso

urce

s fo

r fa

mili

es A

MA

ND

A |

Aub

urn

foot

ball

with

my

hubb

y M

AR

ISSA

| Sh

arin

g a

tabl

e w

ith fr

iend

s TA

YLO

R |

Pret

ty m

uch

anyt

hing

w

ith H

eath

er R

EB

EC

CA

| A

bea

ch v

acat

ion

ALA

INA

| Re

adin

g a

good

boo

k K

ATIE

| C

eleb

ratin

g th

e C

hris

tmas

sea

son

BE

TH |

Road

tri

ps w

ith m

y hu

sban

d SH

ELL

EY |

Ente

rtai

ning

peo

ple

in m

y ho

me

CA

SEY

| Lo

ng c

onve

rsat

ions

with

old

frie

nds

JESS

ICA

| St

rolli

ng b

y th

e En

o R

iver

OLI

VIA

| A

goo

d re

stau

rant

with

fam

ily H

OLL

Y |

Tim

e w

ith f

rien

ds a

nd fa

mily

LIS

A |

Scoo

ter

scav

enge

r hu

nt w

/ B

FFs

LISA

| M

akin

g pu

mpk

in p

ie w

ith fa

mily

KRY

STLE

| La

unch

ing

a pe

rson

or

idea

TIF

FAN

Y |

Floa

ting

on

the

lake

AU

TUM

N |

Long

wal

k on

the

bea

ch A

NN

E | S

ound

of M

usic

bik

e to

ur L

ILY

| Pi

cnic

king

on

an a

utum

n da

y K

AR

EN |

Trav

elin

g w

ith m

y fr

iend

s C

ALL

IE |

Kent

ucky

ba

sket

ball

win

ning

ano

ther

cha

mpi

onsh

ip S

AR

AH

| Fa

mily

hik

ing

in t

he m

ount

ains

LIS

A |

Bei

ng F

OR

the

nex

t ge

nera

tion

ALI

CIA

| C

ross

-cou

ntry

roa

d tr

ip A

MB

ER

| Sh

oppi

ng w

ith m

y da

ught

ers

VIC

KI |

Mou

ntai

ns. C

olle

ge f

rien

ds. T

oget

hern

ess.

Lau

ghte

r. ST

EPH

AN

IE |

Goo

d co

ffee

with

goo

d fr

iend

s C

HR

ISSY

| A

day

on

the

wat

er

KE

LLIE

| Tr

avel

ing

with

mom

and

aun

t K

ELS

EY |

Pla

ying

soc

cer

anyw

here

, any

time

AD

DIS

ON

| A

mov

ie m

arat

hon

snow

day

PA

IGE |

Cha

rcut

erie

boa

rd a

nd M

umm

ch

ampa

gne

NIC

HO

LE |

Road

trip

with

my

fam

ily B

RIT

TAN

Y |

Seei

ng a

sky

full

of s

tars

ELI

ZAB

ETH

| D

ark

choc

olat

e an

d re

d w

ine

BET

O |

Enjo

ying

the

Texa

s H

ill C

ount

ry

CH

ASI

TY |

Coo

king

goo

d fo

od fo

r fr

iend

s A

SHLE

Y |

Road

tri

ppin

g w

ith f

rien

ds K

AIL

YN

| Re

adin

g, r

elat

ions

hips

, gra

ndki

ds, b

ubbl

e te

a K

ATH

Y |

Teac

hing

6-y

ear-

olds

TA

YLO

R |

Sing

ing

in a

mod

ern

choi

r KAT

E | B

eing

a b

acku

p si

nger

MEG

AN

| G

athe

ring

with

fam

ily a

nd fr

iend

s JE

SS |

Read

ing

on th

e be

ach

MEG

AN

| G

radu

atin

g nu

rsin

g sc

hool

CA

SSEY

| Lo

rd o

f the

Rin

gs m

arat

hon

MIC

HEL

LE |

Runn

ing

with

my

sist

er L

isa

DA

NA

| Va

catio

n w

ith fa

mily

CH

ERI |

Wor

king

with

my

5th

grad

ers

BO

BB

I | S

ingi

ng

in t

he s

tree

t SA

M |

Sipp

ing

tea

in Ir

elan

d M

CK

EN

ZIE

| Tr

avel

ing

wit

h m

y hu

sban

d/fa

mily

KA

RLY

| Fl

orid

a G

ator

s fo

otba

ll ga

me

KAT

IE |

Hik

ing

in t

he r

ain

AB

IGA

IL |

That Sounds

FunTHE JOYS OF BEING AN AMATEUR,

THE POWER OF FALLING IN LOVE,

AND WHY YOU NEED A HOBBY

Annie F. Downs

O_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 5_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 5 9/15/20 9:02 AM9/15/20 9:02 AM

Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.

Page 4: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

© 2021 by Annie F. Downs

Published by Revella division of Baker Publishing Group

PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287www.revellbooks.com

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— for example,

electronic, photocopy, recording— without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication DataNames: Downs, Annie F., 1980– author. Title: That sounds fun : the joys of being an amateur, the power of falling in

love, and why you need a hobby / Annie F. Downs. Description: Grand Rapids, Michigan : Revell, a division of Baker Publishing

Group, 2021.Identifiers: LCCN 2020024913 | ISBN 9780800738747 (cloth) Subjects: LCSH: Amusements— Religious aspects— Christianity. | Play—

Religious aspects— Christianity. | Hobbies— Religious aspects— Christianity. | Christian life. | Christianity and culture.

Classification: LCC BV4597 .D69 2021 | DDC 248.4/6— dc23LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020024913ISBN 978-0-8007-4030-6 (ITPE)

The author is represented by Alive Literary Agency, www.aliveliterary.com.

Interior design by William Overbeeke.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 6_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 6 9/18/20 2:23 PM9/18/20 2:23 PM

Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.

Page 5: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

To the That Sounds Fun podcast listeners.You show up, you love our guest friends so well,

and you always remind me that what we are making matters.

You taught me, and continue to teach me, how to chase the fun,

knowing I won’t be alone when I find it. Thank you.

_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 7_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 7 9/15/20 9:02 AM9/15/20 9:02 AM

Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.

Page 6: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Layi

ng o

n gr

ass

with

frie

nds

TOR

I | B

oatin

g w

ith fr

iend

s &

fam

ily J

ULI

E | I

ce s

katin

g or

sw

ing

danc

ing

KAY

LEA

| M

akin

g a

posi

tive

diffe

renc

e ev

ery

day

RIC

HIE

| C

lean

co

med

y sh

ow w

ith fa

mily

LES

LIE

| Hik

ing

with

my

frie

nds

CO

NN

IE |

Latt

es a

nd d

eep

chat

s ST

EPH

AN

IE |

Kaya

king

with

my

sist

er S

ue P

ENN

Y |

Tubi

ng th

e riv

er w

ith fr

amily

N

ICO

LE |

Wat

chin

g gr

own

sons

pla

y to

geth

er M

AR

CIA

| N

ight

aw

ay w

ith m

y hu

bste

r K

AR

OLI

NE

| Fac

e-to

-face

tim

e w

ith m

y pe

ople

AN

NE

| Cro

chet

ing

and

mee

ting

new

fr

iend

s ALY

SSA

| C

omm

unity

, cre

ativ

ity, f

riend

s, a

nd o

bvio

usly

, foo

d M

AC

KEN

ZIE

| Lau

ghin

g w

ith th

e gr

andk

ids J

AN

ET |

Fam

ily tr

ips J

AN

ET |

Jeep

ing

in th

e m

ount

ains

ALE

XIS

| M

eetin

g fr

iend

s at

Fiv

e80

Coff

eeho

use

CH

LOE

| Coff

ee, f

riend

s, w

orsh

ip, l

augh

ter,

Ore

os A

UD

REY

| D

ance

par

ty w

ith th

e gr

andk

ids

JAN

ET |

Wal

king

dow

n M

ain

Stre

et

in D

isne

y M

ARY

CO

LE |

Play

ing

socc

er w

ith m

y so

n A

UST

IN |

Goi

ng o

n a

beac

h pi

cnic

CLA

UD

IA |

Goi

ng t

o th

e H

oly

Land

TH

OM

PSO

N |

Cam

pfire

und

er t

he s

tars

TIF

FAN

Y |

Serv

ing

Jesu

s’s B

ride

loca

lly G

RA

CIE

| H

angi

ng o

ut w

ith m

y ni

ece

SIER

RA

| Ro

ad tr

ips

with

bes

t frie

nds

KAT

IE |

Satu

rday

mor

ning

bre

akfa

st o

ut A

NN

E | D

isne

y W

orld

at

Chr

istm

as M

ELIS

SA |

Pet a

n el

epha

nt K

ENN

EDY

| W

arm

sun

. Bib

le o

pen.

Lis

teni

ng. C

RYST

AL

| Spe

ndin

g un

inte

rrup

ted

time

with

frie

nds

ALL

Y |

Dat

e ni

ght w

ith m

y hu

sban

d D

AN

IELL

E | V

isit

all m

ajor

zoo

s LI

ZZY

| Th

e be

ach

with

my

peop

le J

ESSI

CA

| Im

prom

ptu

patio

par

ties

MEL

ISSA

| W

alk

beac

h w

ith w

hole

fam

ily L

AU

RA

LEE

| Hav

ing

a H

arry

Po

tter

mar

atho

n LY

DIA

| Ta

king

long

, hot

bat

hs K

IMB

ERLY

| Fa

mily

vac

atio

ns o

n Sa

nibe

l Isl

and

LYN

NE

| Hal

lmar

k m

ovie

s an

d C

hris

tmas

coo

kies

AM

Y |

Laug

hing

with

my

frie

nds

JEN

NIF

ER |

Goi

ng t

o a

coun

try

conc

ert

KAT

IE |

Bei

ng w

ith m

y fa

mily

EST

HER

| Ta

king

a n

ap K

RIS

TIN

| Va

catio

n in

Cal

iforn

ia w

ith fa

mily

SA

ND

Y |

Adv

entu

res

with

aw

esom

e fr

iend

s M

AD

ISO

N |

Clim

bing

and

soc

cer w

ith fr

iend

s M

OR

GA

N |

Vis

iting

Dis

ney

Wor

ld w

ith fa

mily

JULI

A |

Wat

chin

g A

fric

an s

unse

ts w

ith fr

iend

s R

OSI

E | D

anci

ng

in r

aini

ng c

onfe

tti B

REE

| Tr

avel

to

Dis

ney

with

fam

ily B

ECK

Y |

A g

ood

gam

e of

rug

by K

YLE

| Ta

king

a c

ross

-cou

ntry

roa

d tr

ip E

MIL

Y |

A s

leep

over

in a

cas

tle K

ATEL

YN

| La

ughi

ng w

ith m

y co

wor

kers

AM

AN

DA

| H

ot b

ath

and

cele

brity

mag

azin

e M

ON

ICA

| C

ard

gam

es w

ith fr

iend

s TE

SA |

Doi

ng p

hoto

grap

hy fo

r a li

ving

HEA

THER

| A

dven

ture

s w

ith m

y ki

ds &

wife

JO

HN

| A

dven

ture

s w

ith m

y hu

sban

d H

EATH

ER |

Road

trip

ping

coa

st to

coa

st A

RIE

L | B

eing

deb

t fre

e in

20

20 B

ECK

Y |

Youn

g Li

fe c

amp

LESL

IE |

Tim

e at

the

bea

ch C

AR

OL

| Mak

ing

sand

cast

les

with

gra

ndso

ns A

NG

IE |

A t

ea p

arty

with

frie

nds

KER

RY |

Slee

ping

, rai

n, r

eadi

ng, m

usic

& fr

iend

s SA

RA

H |

Win

e on

ver

anda

w

ith f

rien

ds A

LIC

IA |

S’m

ores

bro

wni

es. R

eadi

ng. D

anci

ng. L

YN

N |

Trav

elin

g th

e w

orld

BR

IAN

NA

| A

cru

ise

with

my

fam

ily J

ULI

E |

Bea

ch w

ith m

y fiv

e bo

ys K

ASS

Y |

The

beac

h an

d fr

iend

s JO

RD

AN

| Lo

ving

JW

and

Mar

y M

ac B

ETH

| D

isne

ylan

d at

nig

ht w

ith fr

iend

s JE

SSIC

A |

Hik

ing

mou

ntai

ns w

ith m

y fa

mily

JO

Y |

Tim

e w

ith m

y ne

w h

usba

nd M

OLL

Y |

Paja

ma

day

with

my

fam

ily N

ICO

LE |

Tea,

cro

chet

, fire

plac

e, C

hris

tmas

mov

ies

AM

AN

DA

| D

oing

cra

fts

with

my

daug

hter

s KAT

E | R

oad

trip

with

my

girl

frie

nds

BIL

LIE

JO

| V

isiti

ng P

acifi

c N

orth

wes

t w

ith G

len

LYN

DSE

Y |

Fam

ily g

ame

nigh

t E

RIN

| Sl

eepi

ng—

infa

nt/t

oddl

er m

om li

fe

CH

ELSE

A |

Snug

glin

g w

ith m

y tw

o ca

ts A

SHLE

Y |

Bak

ing

cook

ies

and

eatin

g th

em R

AC

HEL

| PE

AC

E at

the

bea

ch J

ULI

| Ti

me

alon

e w

ith

my

husb

and

STEP

HA

NIE

| Re

nova

ting

our o

ld fa

rmho

use

ERIN

| A

ll m

y pe

ople

laug

hing

toge

ther

AB

BY |

Ba

king

for

my

frie

nds

ASH

LIN

| G

oing

hik

ing

BET

H-A

NN

E | E

atin

g ne

w fo

ods

with

fam

ily R

EBEC

CA

| W

atch

ing

Ast

ros

base

ball

with

Jo

sh K

ALA

N |

Hik

ing

on a

sun

ny

day

KR

ISTI

N |

Hot

coc

oa b

y th

e fir

e C

HR

IS |

Trip

s w

ith f

rien

ds a

nd fa

mily

AN

DR

EA

| Re

adin

g w

hile

w

atc

hing

the

ra

in C

UL

LE

N |

Eatin

g tr

opic

al f

ruit

in H

awai

i LEO

RA

| C

ooki

ng B

BQ

for

fri

ends

& f

amily

BR

EN

T | P

hoto

grap

hing

w

ildlif

e in

Yel

low

ston

e R

EBEK

AH

| V

isit

ing

all t

he M

LB p

arks

DE

NIS

E |

A w

eeke

nd in

the

mou

ntai

ns K

ATIE

| H

angi

ng w

ith

my

kids

R

OBY

N |

Hik

ing

with

my

child

ren

& g

rand

child

ren

LIN

DA

| Ru

nnin

g w

ith d

ogs

& b

aby

CA

REY

| Im

prov

ing

proc

esse

s fo

r Fe

dEx

SAR

AH

| Si

ppin

g co

ffee

with

my

frie

nds

EMIL

YAN

N |

Expl

orin

g G

od’s

glor

y JU

LES

| A w

eeke

nd w

ith c

olle

ge g

irlfr

iend

s R

EBEC

CA

| Sn

uggl

ing

my

peo

ple

dri

nkin

g c

offee

A

SHLE

Y |

Serv

ing

with

my

fam

ily M

AR

IA |

Cam

ping

in t

he A

diro

ndac

k M

ount

ains

LIZ

| G

oing

on

a pi

cnic

BEC

CA

| B

eing

a m

irror

of

Trut

h SH

ER

RI |

Coo

king

and

eat

ing

with

fam

ily C

ATA

LIN

A |

A d

ay a

t th

e be

ach

KE

RA

| W

orld

tra

velin

g w

ith m

y hu

sban

d SA

RA

H |

Han

ging

w

ith C

arte

r an

d G

race

BU

NN

I | H

ealin

g, g

row

ing,

and

feel

ing

aliv

e E

MM

ALE

E |

Hik

ing

with

my

husb

and

JEN

NIF

ER

| Li

ving

fear

less

and

fre

e A

NN

A |

Enjo

y C

hris

tmas

mus

ic b

efor

e Th

anks

givi

ng K

AM

I | G

oing

to

a B

road

way

sho

w L

IZ |

Adv

entu

re

wit

h p

eop

le I

lo

ve C

AR

OL

INE

| Ph

otog

raph

ing

peop

le’s

extr

aord

inar

y liv

es T

IM |

Drin

king

tea

in a

tre

e N

AD

IA |

Fam

ily r

iver

adv

entu

re

tim

e A

LYSS

A |

Tim

e at

hom

e be

ing

crea

tive

JULI

AN

NE |

Shop

ping

for

a g

reat

dea

l EM

ILY

| Tr

avel

ing

with

hus

band

and

dau

ghte

r A

SHLE

Y |

_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 8_Downs_ThatSoundsFun_RT_wo.indd 8 9/15/20 9:02 AM9/15/20 9:02 AM

Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.

Page 7: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

9

Layi

ng o

n gr

ass

with

frie

nds

TOR

I | B

oatin

g w

ith fr

iend

s &

fam

ily J

ULI

E | I

ce s

katin

g or

sw

ing

danc

ing

KAY

LEA

| M

akin

g a

posi

tive

diffe

renc

e ev

ery

day

RIC

HIE

| C

lean

co

med

y sh

ow w

ith fa

mily

LES

LIE

| Hik

ing

with

my

frie

nds

CO

NN

IE |

Latt

es a

nd d

eep

chat

s ST

EPH

AN

IE |

Kaya

king

with

my

sist

er S

ue P

ENN

Y |

Tubi

ng th

e riv

er w

ith fr

amily

N

ICO

LE |

Wat

chin

g gr

own

sons

pla

y to

geth

er M

AR

CIA

| N

ight

aw

ay w

ith m

y hu

bste

r K

AR

OLI

NE

| Fac

e-to

-face

tim

e w

ith m

y pe

ople

AN

NE

| Cro

chet

ing

and

mee

ting

new

fr

iend

s ALY

SSA

| C

omm

unity

, cre

ativ

ity, f

riend

s, a

nd o

bvio

usly

, foo

d M

AC

KEN

ZIE

| Lau

ghin

g w

ith th

e gr

andk

ids J

AN

ET |

Fam

ily tr

ips J

AN

ET |

Jeep

ing

in th

e m

ount

ains

ALE

XIS

| M

eetin

g fr

iend

s at

Fiv

e80

Coff

eeho

use

CH

LOE

| Coff

ee, f

riend

s, w

orsh

ip, l

augh

ter,

Ore

os A

UD

REY

| D

ance

par

ty w

ith th

e gr

andk

ids

JAN

ET |

Wal

king

dow

n M

ain

Stre

et

in D

isne

y M

ARY

CO

LE |

Play

ing

socc

er w

ith m

y so

n A

UST

IN |

Goi

ng o

n a

beac

h pi

cnic

CLA

UD

IA |

Goi

ng t

o th

e H

oly

Land

TH

OM

PSO

N |

Cam

pfire

und

er t

he s

tars

TIF

FAN

Y |

Serv

ing

Jesu

s’s B

ride

loca

lly G

RA

CIE

| H

angi

ng o

ut w

ith m

y ni

ece

SIER

RA

| Ro

ad tr

ips

with

bes

t frie

nds

KAT

IE |

Satu

rday

mor

ning

bre

akfa

st o

ut A

NN

E | D

isne

y W

orld

at

Chr

istm

as M

ELIS

SA |

Pet a

n el

epha

nt K

ENN

EDY

| W

arm

sun

. Bib

le o

pen.

Lis

teni

ng. C

RYST

AL

| Spe

ndin

g un

inte

rrup

ted

time

with

frie

nds

ALL

Y |

Dat

e ni

ght w

ith m

y hu

sban

d D

AN

IELL

E | V

isit

all m

ajor

zoo

s LI

ZZY

| Th

e be

ach

with

my

peop

le J

ESSI

CA

| Im

prom

ptu

patio

par

ties

MEL

ISSA

| W

alk

beac

h w

ith w

hole

fam

ily L

AU

RA

LEE

| Hav

ing

a H

arry

Po

tter

mar

atho

n LY

DIA

| Ta

king

long

, hot

bat

hs K

IMB

ERLY

| Fa

mily

vac

atio

ns o

n Sa

nibe

l Isl

and

LYN

NE

| Hal

lmar

k m

ovie

s an

d C

hris

tmas

coo

kies

AM

Y |

Laug

hing

with

my

frie

nds

JEN

NIF

ER |

Goi

ng t

o a

coun

try

conc

ert

KAT

IE |

Bei

ng w

ith m

y fa

mily

EST

HER

| Ta

king

a n

ap K

RIS

TIN

| Va

catio

n in

Cal

iforn

ia w

ith fa

mily

SA

ND

Y |

Adv

entu

res

with

aw

esom

e fr

iend

s M

AD

ISO

N |

Clim

bing

and

soc

cer w

ith fr

iend

s M

OR

GA

N |

Vis

iting

Dis

ney

Wor

ld w

ith fa

mily

JULI

A |

Wat

chin

g A

fric

an s

unse

ts w

ith fr

iend

s R

OSI

E | D

anci

ng

in r

aini

ng c

onfe

tti B

REE

| Tr

avel

to

Dis

ney

with

fam

ily B

ECK

Y |

A g

ood

gam

e of

rug

by K

YLE

| Ta

king

a c

ross

-cou

ntry

roa

d tr

ip E

MIL

Y |

A s

leep

over

in a

cas

tle K

ATEL

YN

| La

ughi

ng w

ith m

y co

wor

kers

AM

AN

DA

| H

ot b

ath

and

cele

brity

mag

azin

e M

ON

ICA

| C

ard

gam

es w

ith fr

iend

s TE

SA |

Doi

ng p

hoto

grap

hy fo

r a li

ving

HEA

THER

| A

dven

ture

s w

ith m

y ki

ds &

wife

JO

HN

| A

dven

ture

s w

ith m

y hu

sban

d H

EATH

ER |

Road

trip

ping

coa

st to

coa

st A

RIE

L | B

eing

deb

t fre

e in

20

20 B

ECK

Y |

Youn

g Li

fe c

amp

LESL

IE |

Tim

e at

the

bea

ch C

AR

OL

| Mak

ing

sand

cast

les

with

gra

ndso

ns A

NG

IE |

A t

ea p

arty

with

frie

nds

KER

RY |

Slee

ping

, rai

n, r

eadi

ng, m

usic

& fr

iend

s SA

RA

H |

Win

e on

ver

anda

w

ith f

rien

ds A

LIC

IA |

S’m

ores

bro

wni

es. R

eadi

ng. D

anci

ng. L

YN

N |

Trav

elin

g th

e w

orld

BR

IAN

NA

| A

cru

ise

with

my

fam

ily J

ULI

E |

Bea

ch w

ith m

y fiv

e bo

ys K

ASS

Y |

The

beac

h an

d fr

iend

s JO

RD

AN

| Lo

ving

JW

and

Mar

y M

ac B

ETH

| D

isne

ylan

d at

nig

ht w

ith fr

iend

s JE

SSIC

A |

Hik

ing

mou

ntai

ns w

ith m

y fa

mily

JO

Y |

Tim

e w

ith m

y ne

w h

usba

nd M

OLL

Y |

Paja

ma

day

with

my

fam

ily N

ICO

LE |

Tea,

cro

chet

, fire

plac

e, C

hris

tmas

mov

ies

AM

AN

DA

| D

oing

cra

fts

with

my

daug

hter

s KAT

E | R

oad

trip

with

my

girl

frie

nds

BIL

LIE

JO

| V

isiti

ng P

acifi

c N

orth

wes

t w

ith G

len

LYN

DSE

Y |

Fam

ily g

ame

nigh

t E

RIN

| Sl

eepi

ng—

infa

nt/t

oddl

er m

om li

fe

CH

ELSE

A |

Snug

glin

g w

ith m

y tw

o ca

ts A

SHLE

Y |

Bak

ing

cook

ies

and

eatin

g th

em R

AC

HEL

| PE

AC

E at

the

bea

ch J

ULI

| Ti

me

alon

e w

ith

my

husb

and

STEP

HA

NIE

| Re

nova

ting

our o

ld fa

rmho

use

ERIN

| A

ll m

y pe

ople

laug

hing

toge

ther

AB

BY |

Ba

king

for

my

frie

nds

ASH

LIN

| G

oing

hik

ing

BET

H-A

NN

E | E

atin

g ne

w fo

ods

with

fam

ily R

EBEC

CA

| W

atch

ing

Ast

ros

base

ball

with

Jo

sh K

ALA

N |

Hik

ing

on a

sun

ny

day

KR

ISTI

N |

Hot

coc

oa b

y th

e fir

e C

HR

IS |

Trip

s w

ith f

rien

ds a

nd fa

mily

AN

DR

EA

| Re

adin

g w

hile

w

atc

hing

the

ra

in C

UL

LE

N |

Eatin

g tr

opic

al f

ruit

in H

awai

i LEO

RA

| C

ooki

ng B

BQ

for

fri

ends

& f

amily

BR

EN

T | P

hoto

grap

hing

w

ildlif

e in

Yel

low

ston

e R

EBEK

AH

| V

isit

ing

all t

he M

LB p

arks

DE

NIS

E |

A w

eeke

nd in

the

mou

ntai

ns K

ATIE

| H

angi

ng w

ith

my

kids

R

OBY

N |

Hik

ing

with

my

child

ren

& g

rand

child

ren

LIN

DA

| Ru

nnin

g w

ith d

ogs

& b

aby

CA

REY

| Im

prov

ing

proc

esse

s fo

r Fe

dEx

SAR

AH

| Si

ppin

g co

ffee

with

my

frie

nds

EMIL

YAN

N |

Expl

orin

g G

od’s

glor

y JU

LES

| A w

eeke

nd w

ith c

olle

ge g

irlfr

iend

s R

EBEC

CA

| Sn

uggl

ing

my

peo

ple

dri

nkin

g c

offee

A

SHLE

Y |

Serv

ing

with

my

fam

ily M

AR

IA |

Cam

ping

in t

he A

diro

ndac

k M

ount

ains

LIZ

| G

oing

on

a pi

cnic

BEC

CA

| B

eing

a m

irror

of

Trut

h SH

ER

RI |

Coo

king

and

eat

ing

with

fam

ily C

ATA

LIN

A |

A d

ay a

t th

e be

ach

KE

RA

| W

orld

tra

velin

g w

ith m

y hu

sban

d SA

RA

H |

Han

ging

w

ith C

arte

r an

d G

race

BU

NN

I | H

ealin

g, g

row

ing,

and

feel

ing

aliv

e E

MM

ALE

E |

Hik

ing

with

my

husb

and

JEN

NIF

ER

| Li

ving

fear

less

and

fre

e A

NN

A |

Enjo

y C

hris

tmas

mus

ic b

efor

e Th

anks

givi

ng K

AM

I | G

oing

to

a B

road

way

sho

w L

IZ |

Adv

entu

re

wit

h p

eop

le I

lo

ve C

AR

OL

INE

| Ph

otog

raph

ing

peop

le’s

extr

aord

inar

y liv

es T

IM |

Drin

king

tea

in a

tre

e N

AD

IA |

Fam

ily r

iver

adv

entu

re

tim

e A

LYSS

A |

Tim

e at

hom

e be

ing

crea

tive

JULI

AN

NE |

Shop

ping

for

a g

reat

dea

l EM

ILY

| Tr

avel

ing

with

hus

band

and

dau

ghte

r A

SHLE

Y |

Contents

Hello 11

WHAT SOUNDS FUN TO YOU?

East Pole Coffee Company 15Ebenezer Road 23The Movie Theater 31

THE JOYS OF BEING AN AMATEUR

The High Line Hotel 43That Sounds Fun Podcast Studio 53Disneyland 61Dollywood 67The Dock 77

THE POWER OF FALLING IN LOVE

Haggart’s 1801 91Onsite 95

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Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.

Page 8: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

10 Contents

Harvest House 103The Little White Kitchen 113Lost Valley Ranch 123New York Tattoo Company 133Ryman Auditorium 141The Pet Shop 149Sevier Park 159

WHY YOU NEED A HOBBY

Neighbors Restaurant 173Book Club 179Tim’s House 187TPAC 195Alliance Soccer Complex 203

CHASE THE FUN

Harvest House Porch 215Goodbye 223

The Sounds of That Sounds Fun 225Thank You 227Notes 231

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Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.

Page 9: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

11

Hello

Hi friends.Welcome to a very special episode of That Sounds Fun.

I’m your host, Annie F. Downs, and I’m so happy to be here with you today.

This is a little different from the normal episodes we share, as this conversation is a whole book instead of a one- hour sit- down between two friends that you can listen to as you walk or drive or work or play.

But my hope is the same. My hope is that you feel like you are sitting at the table with me or that we are out on a walk together or that I’m a fellow passenger on your commute to work, or that I’m on the treadmill beside you as we dig deeper into this little word. F—U—N. Fun. How to find it, what it looks like, and why you long for it. And maybe, just maybe, by the end of this time together we’ll both be a bit different, a bit lighter, and a bit more understanding toward ourselves and each other.

By the way, throughout the book you will see pages of small font turned sideways (as a matter of fact, you’ve already passed a few of them!). When I asked my podcast listeners to tell me what sounded fun to them, these were their answers!

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Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.

Page 10: Sounds - cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Rela

xing

with

frie

nds

and

fam

ily H

EATH

ER |

Seei

ng H

amilt

on o

n B

road

way

LA

UR

EN |

Han

ging

with

#m

yfav

orite

tinyh

uman

KAT

IE |

SKIIN

G e

spec

ially

with

fres

h po

wde

r D

ON

NA

| G

oing

on

a m

issi

on t

rip D

AR

CI |

Fro

nt p

orch

sw

ing

talk

s JO

HN

| Ra

iny

days

and

riv

etin

g re

ads

SAVA

NN

AH

| G

ood

food

with

frie

nds/

fam

ily S

HER

EE |

Swim

min

g in

sun

with

CO

KE-

ICEE

KAY

LA |

12So

uth,

Rym

an, F

roth

y, C

raft

Sou

th, A

then

ian

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ICA

| B

ooks

and

mov

ies

and

frie

nds

KA

REN

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ate

nigh

t with

my

husb

and

LIN

DSA

Y |

Trav

elin

g an

d ex

plor

ing

new

pla

ces

CA

ITLY

N |

Bay

lor

foot

ball

win

s na

tiona

l cha

mpi

onsh

ip R

AN

DA

L | G

ettin

g m

y M

aste

rs in

MFT

RIL

EY |

Trip

acr

oss

Am

eric

a w

ith

teen

ager

s D

ALL

AS

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togr

aphi

ng w

ildlif

e in

Yel

low

ston

e R

EBEK

AH

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o on

cru

ise

with

hus

band

ALI

CIA

| B

ecom

ing

“Mom

” vi

a m

atch

ed a

dopt

ion

BO

NN

IE |

Trav

elin

g th

e w

orld

with

frie

nds

DA

RC

Y |

Wat

chin

g H

allm

ark

with

col

d ch

ampa

gne

KIM

MY

| H

earin

g m

y gr

andc

hild

ren

laug

h B

ETH

| B

akin

g cu

pcak

es K

IM |

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ing

mor

e ba

bies

K

ATIE

| Ea

ting

at C

ooko

ut w

ith M

akay

lah

FAIT

H |

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ing

Chr

istm

as c

ooki

es S

AR

A |

Goi

ng t

o D

isne

ylan

d w

ith fr

iend

s A

MA

ND

A |

Trav

elin

g th

e en

tire

wor

ld S

AM

AN

THA

| M

edic

al m

issi

on t

rip

ALL

IE |

Goi

ng fo

r a

run

KAT

ELY

N |

Tim

e w

ith m

y ni

eces

/nep

hew

s LI

SA |

Gol

fing

on a

sun

ny d

ay A

SHLE

E |

Pod-

bath

with

a fa

ce m

ask

CA

RO

LIN

E |

Frie

nd a

nd m

iniB

FF t

ime

ASH

TON

| Su

rpri

se p

arty

for

my

Ma

TAY

LOR

| Re

laxi

ng w

ith m

y hu

sban

d K

RIS

TEN

| Fa

mily

, fri

ends

, win

e, c

harc

uter

ie t

able

ALI

SON

| B

akin

g an

d da

ncin

g to

mus

ic S

AR

AH

| W

atch

ing

my

babi

es g

row

TR

AC

I | A

dven

turin

g w

ith fa

mily

and

frie

nds

ALL

ISO

N |

Alll

lll o

f the

mus

ical

s ST

EPH

| M

ount

ain

geta

way

with

fr

iend

s LI

ND

SEY-

BET

H |

Coff

ee ti

me

with

frie

nds

VALE

RIE

| Re

adin

g, e

atin

g, c

reat

ing,

and

wor

ship

ing

STEL

LA |

Drin

king

coff

ee w

ith s

wee

t frie

nds

MO

NTA

NA

| Li

ving

my

best

bo

okis

h lif

e B

ETH

| La

ughi

ng w

ith p

eopl

e I l

ove

DO

RIE

| Sp

endi

ng C

hris

tmas

with

my

fam

ily LY

DIA

| G

oing

dow

n w

ater

slid

es H

EATH

ER |

Pain

ting

ALI

CIA

| Tr

avel

ing

to P

aris

w

ith fr

iend

s VA

L | A

ll-in

clus

ive

reso

rt in

Mex

ico

SAM

AN

THA

| H

ikin

g in

the

mou

ntai

ns A

BB

EY |

Read

ing

in m

y co

zy b

ed K

RYST

A |

Laug

hing

so

hard

I cr

y K

ATE

| Pho

nele

ss

adve

ntur

es w

ith m

y pe

ople

GA

BR

IELL

A |

Ark

ansa

s Ra

zorb

ack

spor

ting

even

ts L

IND

SEY

| D

isne

y Sp

rings

Sta

rbuc

ks o

utdo

or s

eatin

g C

AR

OL

| Goi

ng to

Dis

ney

with

fam

ily

NAT

ALI

E | R

eadi

ng in

bed

, all

day

ASH

LEY

| G

ettin

g lo

cked

ove

rnig

ht in

Tar

get P

ATTY

| B

onfir

e w

ith m

y ho

me

team

RH

IAN

NO

N |

Laug

hing

with

my

fianc

é C

IND

Y |

Hea

lthy,

st

imul

atin

g co

nver

satio

ns w

ith f

rien

ds H

AIL

EY |

(Gift

ed) s

pa v

acat

ion

with

fri

ends

MA

RTY

| St

andi

ng-r

oom

onl

y co

ncer

t tic

kets

SH

ELB

Y |

Cat

chin

g up

with

col

lege

fr

iend

s K

IRST

EN |

Hot

tub

whi

le it

’s sn

owin

g C

ASS

I | E

xplo

ring

coffe

e sh

ops

with

frie

nds

BR

ITTA

NY

| Ex

plor

ing

a ne

w c

ity w

ith fr

iend

s EL

ISE

| Frie

nd t

ime

AM

Y |

Read

ing

book

s an

d w

atch

ing

mov

ies

JESS

ICA

| Tr

avel

ing

som

ewhe

re n

ew. W

ith c

offee

. ALY

SSA

| A

dven

turin

g in

the

mou

ntai

ns C

OU

RTN

EY |

Adv

entu

res

with

my

kids

HEI

DI |

God

. Fr

iend

s. B

each

. Foo

d. T

ea. M

AR

SHA

| H

ikin

g in

the

mou

ntai

ns A

MA

ND

A |

Wor

ld tr

avel

with

my

trib

e EM

ILY

| M

akin

g lif

e m

omen

ts m

atte

r gl

obal

ly L

AU

REN

| G

oing

on

my

hone

ymoo

n M

AD

ISO

N |

Intr

over

ting

with

cra

fts,

coff

ee, c

hoco

late

TR

AC

Y |

Trav

elin

g, c

onne

ctin

g w

ith m

y pe

ople

AM

AN

DA

| C

ampi

ng w

ith h

usba

nd a

nd d

ogs

BR

AN

DI |

Ju

mp

into

a h

idde

n la

ke S

HER

RI |

Mak

ing

mem

orie

s w

ith m

y pe

ople

REB

ECC

A |

Expl

orin

g co

untr

ies

with

my

husb

and

LAU

REN

| C

ooki

ng w

ith m

y be

st fr

iend

RA

CH

AEL

| Ri

ding

hor

ses

with

my

daug

hter

s C

ALL

IE |

Play

ing

“Spi

cy U

no”

with

frie

nds

ALL

IE |

Cha

rcut

erie

boa

rds

and

Mon

opol

y D

eal M

AR

IA |

Cam

ping

with

fam

ily a

nd fr

iend

s R

AC

HA

EL |

Mar

ionb

erry

cris

p an

d ic

e cr

eam

STE

PHA

NIE

| Fr

ont s

eat r

olle

rcoa

ster

rid

e gi

ggle

s A

LIC

IA |

Cru

ise

with

my

best

frie

nds

DO

NN

A |

Swim

min

g in

Lak

e M

ichi

gan

KAT

IE |

Swin

ging

on

any

beac

h JA

CK

IE |

Goi

ng th

riftin

g w

ith m

y m

om S

AR

AH

| A

ctin

g on

sta

ge A

BBY

| G

et a

bac

k m

assa

ge G

REE

R |

Snor

kelin

g D

AN

IELL

E | G

oing

hik

ing

in

the

Rock

ies

MEG

AN

| Fr

ont

porc

h si

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What Sounds

Fun to You?

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15

East Pole Coffee Company

It’s fall, and I’m grounded from flying and traveling for work for a few months. By choice. By invitation from God. Though I’m not sure what I think about that.

Over the last seven years of this career, I have racked up miles in the air like a professional, which, according to my status with Delta, I pretty much am. I love to travel. I love seeing places and being places. I love flying.

Travel has always been one of the best parts of my job. But about a year ago, I felt God whisper to me, “You’re going to want to be home next fall.” It felt like an invitation from Him, and with time in prayer, for me and my team of employees and managers and agents, we decided that I would spend fall in Nashville. What? Fall is my busiest time of year— conferences and events typically keep my travel schedule fully booked in autumn. And God wanted me off the road?

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16 What Sounds Fun to You?

But I heard what I heard and I agreed to obey. And so as I write these words, here I am: grounded.

For a change of scenery, I drove south from Nashville to see my family and I’m posted up at my favorite Atlanta coffee spot: East Pole Coffee Company. It’s bright and beautiful, and it looks like it seats about thirty people. In the corners, there are green plants hanging from the ceiling, and the vines are dangling down to the floor, almost camouflaging the electrical outlets. The coffee bar is made of a long and dark maple, and there are these really lovely scalloped white tiles climbing from the white floors to the bar.

I’m sitting with my back to the windows. I like the hubbub of a busy coffee shop, and this one has constant traffic. Also, across the room at a little table for two are my cousin and his wife, who are home from abroad for just a few weeks. I like being able to see them in the same space.

I have a chai with oat milk (which, come on, milk made of oats is ridiculous and hilarious and so bougie but also delicious). The playlist I found on Spotify is a collection of instrumental classics called “refreshing pieces,” and I’m switching between it and Jon McLaughlin’s instrumental music. Still, all I want to do is slam my computer shut and escape. As I was driving here, my mind started dreaming of all the places I could run to and drive to and fly to and be right now. All the other places but HERE. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that even if I did run away, there is no getting away from my insides. It’s as if the sadness has taken residence, and it’s not going to be left behind just because I leave.

And leaving isn’t an option right now anyway. I’ve stopped traveling for work for a couple of reasons, one of them being

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17East Pole Cofee Coomann

my physical health. A few months ago, I started getting mi-graines on almost a daily basis, and I was almost guaranteed to get one every time I flew on a plane. After months of this, my doctor put me on bed rest. Two full weeks of bed rest.

The decision to take the second half of the year off the road was sealed before I started getting daily migraines, but God knew. He knew before I did that the winter would be the winter of migraines and that a full fall calendar probably would have continued to feel invasive. While my body and heart would have been up for it, I worry my brain would not have. But there’s lots more to this season off the road. I know there is.

At the start of this season, my friend Matt asked me how I was feeling about being grounded. Matt and I have similar personalities and he told me, “Don’t be surprised by a sense of mild depression in this season.” WHAT? THAT IS NOT WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. But even his short message whispered something to me that I haven’t been able to ig-nore. It amplified the chorus that had been singing in the background of my brain for the last few months, leading up to the season of no travel, so quiet it was barely audible. But when someone else called out the lyrics, I heard them clearly: There is something scary to me about months at home without anywhere to go. I haven’t done this in almost a decade— been in my own house every night of the week for a lot of weeks.

Fast- forward to spring 2020. If I had only known that just a few months later, we would all learn what it would be like to spend endless amounts of time in our own homes as we col-lectively experienced the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first global pandemic of our lifetime. Everyone

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18 What Sounds Fun to You?

at home. No one in school or church. Most professionals no longer going into the office but working from guest rooms and couches and dining room tables. Some friends of mine thrived; some did not. We began to ask big questions of our world but also big questions about ourselves.

What happens to me when I can’t go? When I can’t get away from here?

Truth? I wish I were flying away right now. This has been a tough year. It included migraines and heartbreak and quaran-tine and really hard decisions. And as I think about all those things, something makes me feel like being in a different city would feel better. (It wouldn’t. I’ve done this— tried to fix my problems by hopping on a plane— enough times before. But the whisper is still there. Run from this and you will feel better. But I won’t feel better. I never do.)

How often do we call escapism “fun”? That’s the real ques-tion for me. When I’m looking to define fun in my own life, to figure out how to handle the thing I don’t know how to handle or how to process the pain I don’t know what to do with, I wonder if I’m actually planning fun or just using fun to describe running away.

Today, I want to run. I’ll pack a bag with my stuff and a bag with my feelings, then I’ll leave the feelings bag behind, grab the other one, and board a plane that will fly me somewhere.

Anywhere.

I feel like I’m a good person to tell you about fun and to tell you why you absolutely need fun in your life. For those who don’t know, I am the host of a podcast called That Sounds Fun. Episodes release twice a week, Mondays and

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19East Pole Cofee Coomann

Thursdays, and in every episode, I get to interview a friend or someone I wish I were friends with. Sometimes they are authors or musicians, and other times they are chefs or ath-letes or actresses or doctors or anyone who says something I think my listener friends will love.

Because we do need fun. We all have to find it. My friend Emily P. Freeman and I will often tell each other to “chase the fun.” Whether your life looks exactly the way you thought it would— financially, spiritually, emotionally, relationally— or one or more of those categories feels out of sync with what you thought today would look like, fun is an integral part of what God has in store for you.

And the pursuit of fun will actually bring you some of the answers you hope exist, answers to some of the deep ques-tions rooting around inside you.

A weird thing has happened to me since people started listening to the podcast. When people come up to me in public, whether it be at the airport or in a restaurant, at a coffee shop or at church, they often tell me what they do for fun.

Because we always talk about fun on the show. At the end of every episode, I ask each guest the exact same ques-tion: “What sounds fun to you?” And because listeners hear me ask that question twice a week, they want to answer it too.

It’s hilarious, really, how much we want to talk about fun. I usually have to interrupt people and ask for their name because they are so quick to tell me their story that they forget to tell me what their parents put on their birth cer-tificate the day they entered the world. So I stop the friend, ask their name, then tell them to continue. And once we’ve

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20 What Sounds Fun to You?

finished the conversation, their next question is “Can I tell you what I do for fun?”

And my answer is always yes.Because I love fun.

We feel something lacking in our lives. We sense that this place in us that used to be filled just isn’t anymore, even on our best days. It may just be a squeak sometimes, but other days it is a roar in our ears that something has been lost and we don’t know how to find it and won’t be able to find it. But we miss it. Because we know it used to be filled.

What is that thing? What are we missing that makes us feel its loss? You think I’m going to say fun here, and while that isn’t wrong, I’ve realized that it’s actually too simple an answer. But you know that, don’t you?

You know that like I know that because it doesn’t matter how hard we try or where we look, we can’t seem to find that thing we’ve all lost. That buzz you get from a glass of wine won’t get it back. His hand around your waist, while it feels awesome, doesn’t return to you what you’ve lost. Even the best day lined up from start to finish still leaves you won-dering if it’s all going to crash down around you tomorrow. Because that thing, whatever it is, is still missing.

I saw a video on Instagram the other night (when I should have been sleeping) of an outdoor event where multiple massive games of Jenga were stacked on tables beside each other. You know the ones I am talking about? Where each Jenga piece, instead of being the size of a finger, is the size of a forearm. They were set all up and down two sides of a sidewalk in the middle of a grassy knoll. They were stacked

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21East Pole Cofee Coomann

and being carefully played by multiple groups of people. Everyone seemed to be having a great time playing these large versions of a fun group game. Suddenly, a college- age girl ran by the camera and shoved all five Jenga stacks, sending pieces flying. A drive- by (run- by?) destroying of everyone’s good time. In the video, a woman screamed and people threw their hands in the air and everyone was super frustrated that they were playing a game until this girl came and crumbled everything.

After I watched that video, I couldn’t fall asleep because I kept wondering if a cosmic version of that was going to happen in my life the next day.

I’m not here to tell you to carpe your diems. That’s not the solution. To me that is just the other side of the same coin, asking where to find the thing we have lost and what’s the quickest way to escape from here or fill in the gap of what is missing with anything we can find.

I think the truer statement is that what we have lost is real. That thing we know is missing is no joke. It’s legit. While the world may look at your life and tell you that you have everything, you know the quiet, nagging whisper of truth. We have lost Eden, we have lost peace, we have lost the foundation upon which genuine fun can be built. And we have to go search for it.

So that’s why we are here. That’s the journey I’ve been on in my own life. A journey of sobriety (in more ways than you’d think), a rapelling trip into the depths of my own pain, a search for understanding. I thought I was writing a book about fun, but I realized we both need more than what that

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22 What Sounds Fun to You?

could offer. We need a way to find hope, to believe what we have lost can be found.

I think it can. But only if we will go where this story asks us to go. We cannot be afraid here— or at least, we cannot let the fear win. Let’s all be brave, right? If we have to walk into our pain on the way to Eden, then so be it. Let’s rebuild a foundation that used to exist just under our feet, so we can add layer upon layer of the good stuff, the heartbeats, the loud laughs, the tears of joy. Because, this won’t surprise you, that sounds fun to me.

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Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2021. Used by permission.