Day 2: 20 of my favorite things.

I admit to being quite materialistic. Ask me for a wishlist and you'll get a crapload of things that aren't all that important. It's not that I don't appreciate the non-material things (because I really do), but I do get a kick out of getting stuff. I'm not shallow. I'm human.

Asking me to name my favorite things is going to be hard though. Not because I have plenty, but because I barely have any. I love my things. I take good care of them, but I don't have favorites. Like seasons, they too pass. I can name a few general items, but nothing specific. And even then, I don't think I could come up with twenty. So I opted to follow the footsteps of Fraulein Maria instead, and named 20 of my favorite things that need not be objects.

1. Sleeping in on a cool morning. I don't think I have to explain this one. Waking up to a cool weather and curling back in bed for a few extra winks is everyone's guilty pleasure.
2. Staying in my room on a rainy afternoon with a warm cup of coffee and a good book in hand. I love rain. The sounds of pitter-patter and the cool breeze awaken feelings that I've left to hibernate within the corners of my heart. My emotions are heightened that I want to be wrapped around the warmth of words and the sweet aroma of caffeine. And when I have all three at the same time, I could only wish for time to stand still.
3. Travelling to places I've never been. There's nothing like the thrill of being in a new place. With every place you visit, you crave for more. Your body longs for adventure. And every day that you find yourself somewhere new, you feel reborn. Like each day was made specifically for you to see the wonders of wherever you are.
4. Under-appreciated movies. I can't explain why I love them. I just do. I guess when there's less overrated talks of how beautiful a film is, you tend to see its beauty in your own way.
5. Unexpected, yet pleasant attention. This doesn't happen everyday, but when it does, it never fails to make me smile.
6. Making art in my own accord. I will always love making art, forced or not. But one of the best things in the world is making it when I feel like it. When you feel creative juices flow through your bloodstream, and your hands itch to create, you will most likely come up with something beautiful. And who doesn't want to create something beautiful?
7. Writing poetry just before I fall asleep. Words flow better when I'm in bed at night.
8. Stars. What's there to say? I've been fascinated by them since the day I learned how to draw one!
9. Talking about life. Talking about life gets me to think. Not in the way that politics or neuroscience do, but in a way that really gets to me. It allows me to ponder and question one's existence. It allows me to think about the really important things.
10. Daydreaming. I am a professional daydreamer, and always have been since the day I came to this world. Back when I was a student, I used to do it full-time. It's my own private getaway when things get a little too hard to handle, or when I'm just bored off my ass.
11. Really good music. The best way to describe my feelings for music is to quote the movie, It's Kind of a Funny Story. When Craig asked Noelle if she liked music, she simply replied, "Do you like breathing?"
12. Great bargains. This is the shopaholic in me talking. I'm an impulsive buyer, and finding great bargains is like finding an oasis in the middle of a scorching hot, dry desert. It's like heaven in a price tag.
13. Getting under the covers and wrapping up on a cool night. Pretty much the same as #1.
14. Making my parents happy. I'm not sure how many times I've done this, but for the few times that I remember, I don't think I can ever trade it with anything in the world.
15. Laughing out loud with friends. This is one vice I will never give up on. It's one of those things that you can't get enough of. You find ways of getting it, and when you do, you get a certain kind of high that you want to hold on to for as long as you can. It's my drug.
16. The internet. :)
17. Cartoons. As a child-at-heart, I don't think I can ever get through life without cartoons.
18. Dancing unrestricted. Not many know this, but when I'm home alone and a really good song comes on, I get up on my feet and dance. Just dance. No choreography, no restrictions—just the feeling of the beat taking over my bones.
19. Brown paper packages tied up with string. Alright, you didn't think I'd write a list of my favorite things and not pay homage to The Sound of Music, now did you? Haha! Seriously though, like Maria, I like receiving packages. Most especially when wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. It feels so...old-fashioned. And I love old-fashioned! It has a certain charm to it that's very endearing.
20. Going to work with my parents. No matter how much I bitch about it in the morning, it's one of my favorite times of the day. I've been so busy lately that we hardly see each other. It's in that 45-minute (sometimes later) ride that we get to talk. And I love talking to my parents! Even if it's mostly me just grumbling. LOL.