Today is Valentine's Day, which has never been my favorite holiday, for a few reasons. Don't get me wrong, I love love, & I think love is absolutely worth celebrating, I'm just not much of a fan of this love-centered Hallmark holiday & all the fluffy pink hearts that accompany it.
Instead of talking about all the people I love - of whom there are a great many - I thought I'd pull together a quick-hits list of some of the things in everyday life that I love most:
- Finishing a good book & getting to rate it highly on Goodreads & just reflecting for a moment on how great it was before moving on to another... this has always been one of my favorite feelings in the world.
- Having everything neat & orderly. I was always incredibly messy growing up, & as an adult, I still can be - but I find so much peace & comfort in neatness. I hate cleaning, but I sure do love the feeling of everything being clean.
- Eating meals with people I love. There's something joyful about a homecooked meal with my husband, or brunch with my mom, or coffee with a friend. Maybe I have such a hard time with dating because, for me, food is so linked to love?
- Being downtown in just about any city. I do love my slightly suburban life, but whether it's someplace small like Cleveland or the ultimate, NYC, being in the heart of a downtown area makes me feel so reinvigorated.
- New episodes of my favorite TV shows & podcasts. I have a whole pop culture schedule. Mondays are My Favorite Murder minisodes & a new episode of The Bachelor, Tuesdays are podcasts about The Bachelor, Wednesdays are Chicago Med, & Thursdays are the best: last night's Law & Order: SVU & Criminal Minds plus new episodes of My Favorite Murder & Grey's Anatomy. Whew! I swear I do other things.
- Those perfect days - in any season - when it's not too hot & not too cold, just sunny & warm enough to go without a coat & to wear flats... I'm daydreaming about this weather right now. February in Cleveland will do that to you!
- Cuddling with my cats. It may sound silly, especially to anyone who's not a cat person, but when they decide to grace me with their cuddly presence, I just feel so warm & cozy & fortunate to be their mama.
- Being published. I am never more proud of myself than when I write something & get it "out there" - even if it's just right here on my own blog. I've been writing for Cleveland Magazine lately & just picked up a new regular contributor gig to be announced soon. Very exciting!
- Buying something at a good sale. I've gotten much better about my overall shopping habits, but there's something so deeply satisfying about scoring a good sale on something you love.
- Getting a good night's sleep. This seems like a no-brainer, but as someone who's long struggled with sleep issues, getting a full 8-10 hours & waking up feeling refreshed is just so. freaking. good.
- Talking with kind strangers. I love chatting up randos - the pharmacist, the barista, the guy checking me out at Giant Eagle, the woman sitting next to me at the coffee shop. It might be weird, but I find joy in small, friendly interactions with people I don't know.
- Listening to early-aughts emo. My go-to music is always music from the early 2000s, when I was fully obsessed with finding new tunes & tracking down live shows. Jimmy Eat World, Brandtson, Dashboard Confessional, Death Cab for Cutie, The Starting Line, Acceptance... I'm a sucker for it.
- Planning my next trip. I don't travel a lot these days, but I love thinking about where I'd like to go next & preparing for the times I do, in fact, get to go someplace. I've got a trip to NYC coming up, & I'm really looking forward to a little change of scenery. Always have to have something to look forward to!
- Looking at my wedding photos. Every time I look through them, I find myself smiling ear to ear without even realizing it. I look at them whenever I want a pick-me-up.
How do you feel about Valentine's Day? What do you love?
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