Day 14: Ten Things I Love About Life...

The challenge for today is to list ten things that make me really happy. Since I tend to be a pretty happy person generally, this is both an easy and difficult list to make, since so many things make me happy that it’s difficult to narrow it down to just ten! Also, these are in no particular order, so keep that in mind.

Thunderstorms. I LOVE them. Watching lightning streak across the sky, listening to it sizzle and crackle in the air…hearing the boom of thunder, and feeling the house shake from the noise…the smell in the air after a storm. I just really love everything about thunderstorms. (Unless they get too violent and cause damage..that part I don’t love.)

S’mores. I don’t know if it’s the child in me, or just the fact that it’s chocolate and marshmallow together (holy deliciousness, Batman), but I looooooooove s’mores. I have been known to actually roast marshmallows over the burner of my gas stove in my apartment, actually, and enjoy a s’more (or two or three or seven) on a random Monday afternoon. Don’t judge me.

Maxi dresses. Because I mean really, what’s not to love? They’re cute, they’re ridiculously comfortable, they’re stylish, at least for the moment, and they’re easy to pair with cute accessories like sandals, necklaces, or jackets. Also, did I mention they’re comfortable?

Reading. There is something so calming about being able to lose myself in someone else’s story, even if it’s a made-up story. I get totally involved in the books I read, and really start to feel the same emotions of the characters. That’s why books like The Hunger Games, while fantastic and highly recommended, are difficult for me to read – because I will literally go through a whole gamut of emotion in one sitting, and it’s exhausting. But I love it anyway!

Cooking and baking. I’m not all that great at either one, but I love it anyway. I like putting ingredients together, playing around with recipes, and (my favorite part) sampling chowing down on the finished product! Someday, I WILL have a fully stocked kitchen, with all the ingredients I’ll need to whip up some fun dishes and desserts spontaneously, instead of having to always menu plan and shop accordingly. I. Can’t. Wait.

Scented candles. I love candles. I love the way they look, I love the way they smell, I love the romance of candles. If I could have scented candles lit all the time, in every room of my house, I would. True story. 

Netflix and Hulu. Since my life has been a bit crazy lately, and I’m not in school or working at the moment, I have found myself with a lot of random free time. You’d think that maybe I’d spend a lot of that time blogging/journaling/otherwise expressing my thoughts, but in the immortal words of Joey Tribbiani, “Turns out, I don’t have as many thoughts as you’d think.” So I’ve used some of my time to catch up on TV shows that I’ve been wanting to see, and just haven’t had time for, like Scandal, Damages, and rewatching Alias.

Walking. I hate working out. Seriously, it’s like one of my least favorite things. However, I love taking walks. They’re easy, yet effective. Plus, when you go with someone else, it gives you a perfect time to have a wonderful conversation that you probably wouldn’t have had if you were just sitting at home on the couch.

Pictures. I don’t take enough of them, but I absolutely adore going back and looking at pictures. I love seeing the looks on people’s faces, remembering what was going on in a particular moment that was captured, or thinking about how certain pictures would look in a frame or some kind of decorative wall arrangement. Is that silly? I don’t know, but either way, I don’t care. I love them. I wish I took more of them.

And last but not least, I am enjoying this blog challenge! I know I haven’t done a very good job of keeping up with it, but I’ve enjoyed having writing prompts, to help me get into the swing of things!

What things make you happy?