Things that bring me joy

1. Korean sheet masks

Seriously, if you’re not on this wave, GET ON THIS WAVE. 

2. Fresh cut flowers

Sad? Buy yourself flowers. Bored? Buy yourself flowers. Ready for it to be summer already? Buy yourself some flowers.
You can get a bouquet for as cheap as $2 to $4 and they will brighten up the dreariest of rooms. I got some daffodils and they are just opening up and are one of the first things I see every morning and it’s a lovely way to start the day.
3. Facetiming with people I love and miss.
I like facetiming with my sister when we’re both doing ordinary tasks like homework or getting ready for bed. It makes me close to her and reminds me of the days we shared a room.

I also look forward to my monthly FaceTime dates with a friend/former roommate who has been studying/co-oping abroad. Despite being apart for almost a year now, we make time for quality time and catch each other up on our lives. 
4. A nightly routine
I’ve been trying to relax more before bed and go to bed earlier instead of doing stuff right until I go to bed and going to bed late. Now, I aim to be done with everything by 9 – 9:30 pm and spend the last 30 – 60 mins drinking tea and reading or watching tv. Complete with sheet mask, obviously. It’s helping me sleep better and wake up feeling more rested. 

5. Grocery store sales 
I got a good sized hunk of Camembert the other day at Star Market and it was only 4 dollars. The only thing better than fancy French cheese? CHEAP fancy French cheese.

6. Seeing people I care about prosper
Honestly nothing makes me happier than seeing the people I care about happy and doing well. 

7. Pleasant exhaustion

A desk job isn’t exactly physically demanding so I’ve been feeling the urge to work out more to counter balance the 8 hours I have to spend at a desk. Feeling physically tired is a unique pleasure and drifting off to sleep in a haze of vaguely achy muscles is oddly pleasant. 

8. Reading some bomb poetry
I just re-read Sandra Cisneros’s “Loose Woman” and those poems are so raw, so real, so good. They are meaty and complicated and bitter and spicy and sweet and everything I aspire to be as a writer. Te quiero, Sandra. 

9. Freshly washed sheets and pajamas
Is there any pleasure as pure as getting into freshly laundered sheets, while wearing fresh pajamas after having showered and exfoliated and moisturized??? No, there is not.

10. Socks

People make fun of me but I love socks. They are cozy and like little blankets wrapped around your feet and I will be sad when it gets too warm to wear them around the house.