things that make me happy

  • raw salmon
  • walking in rainy weather (not too cold or windy), in a city, with a good cup of coffee and rain boots and an umbrella
  • my siblings
  • my mugs
  • having a job in an office with co-workers who don’t suck
  • completing a piece of writing
  • having very official meetings as an excuse to hang out with my friends
  • brunch
  • being awake before everybody else and drinking coffee and watching TV before I do anything else
  • rapping Hamilton in my car or shower
  • finding someone who is as good at rapping Hamilton as me & doing the Cabinet Battles
  • secret facebook groups
  • taking very long walks and listening to podcasts
  • pixi skintreats, glossier concealer (only if used w/ beauty blender) – finally, finally having some solid acne solutions
  • walking into Trader Joes and buying whatever I want
  • seeing my friends get amazing jobs/opportunities
  • being active in a community
  • feeling like I have a tough but manageable amount of work on my plate
  • re-watching a season of a favorite tv show
  • being surprised or affected by media
  • venting to my parents on the phone as I drive home after a long day
  • crying a lot

I was reading Taylor’s blog tonight because I miss her and she was on my mind, when I came across this post. My first thought when I read it was, nothing has been making me feel happy lately. So I thought it would be a good exercise to try to make a long list of my own, even if it feels forced. Go:

  • making my co-workers laugh
  • feeling confident because i know i did a good job at something; feeling smart and competent, like after a job interview or work-thing
  • buying little baby plants
  • seeing my little baby plants growing and not dying 
  • seeing a friend i haven’t seen in awhile
  • iced coffee (especially on a nice day or on a bad day)
  • going to the movies by myself and coming out of the theatre and feeling like everything is quieter and every thought carries more weight, and riding the escalator down out of the theatre and thinking, even the worst thoughts feel okay in that moment because they at least feel meaningful
  • when someone i love tells me i’m good at something, tells me they miss me, tells me they love me 
  • when i realize, even if only for a split-second, that i’m not as bad as I make myself out to be
  • when i’m not too tired or hungry or in pain and i’m just walking outside or riding the bus or subway and it’s not too crowded or hot, and i’m just listening to a podcast and everything is totally fine
  • finishing a crossword
  • having a drink with a friend
  • seeing a cute dog
  • extreme rain / thunder storms
  • city lights and streetlamps at night on wet pavement
  • about 10-15 different songs, all of which are probably terrible, but great
  • surprise guests / visits from friends and family
  • being remembered