I came to Starbucks in hopes of preparing for finals, but I got a sudden hit of gratitude. The weather is amazing, my laptop is fully charged, I’m drinking a ~free~ grande soy milk latte and I get to see my friends tonight. Thanksgiving break has been a great opportunity to recharge, and I could not be more grateful for how things are playing out. We all get to take a break off what I like to call the high speed train of student-life, and hop back on and start Week 9. And that balance is awesome. We get to be students both on and off campus, but to varying lengths. I can read a book before I sleep at home, and head to the library once school resumes. I get to constantly learn. How cool is that?! We are so blessed.
We [students] get to spend time with our families and loved ones. The weather may not be as cold as winter is typically embodied by, but man, California is amazing. There is so much to do here, especially during the holidays. ICE at Santa Monica opens up, Starbucks gifts us with delicious hand-crafted cups of heaven and Santa makes a pit stop. Strings of lights cover the city and our Cali palm trees, and fake snow randomly makes its appearance. I love it.
I love clear roads topped with Christmas hits on full volume. I love picking up friends and mindlessly roaming through Los Angeles. I love creating our own versions of Carpool Karaoke. I love attempting to bake and finding thrill in the few times our creations are actually edible. I love scrolling through Pinterest and building up inspiration for things to do, places to be and foods to eat. Man, I just love this time of year.
It may not be the holidays for you, but is there a little chunk of year that just gets you going? For me it’s the holidays. It could be the first week of summer, the middle of fall or Thanksgiving Day. I’ve found happiness in a season. Have you? That sounds really weird and direct, but really, is there a time of year that you associate with a better, happier version of yourself? If not, that’s totally cool. But, just something to possibly think about?
Oh, and the MUSIC! Music around the holidays gets me nostalgic and on a high of happiness. And I’m not just referring to Michael Buble’s Christmas Album. Ariana Grande’s is just as good, not forgetting the classics. Here’s a link to the playlist that I’ve been putting on repeat ever since November 1st, unapologetically.
Thanksgiving is kind of interesting because it forces us to be thankful for what seems like one day out of the entire year. Being grateful constantly is what should be preached, and thanksgiving should rather highlight that than be what seems like the sole day to practice it. I don’t know, just some thoughts. We should morph our Thanksgiving mindset into everyday. Not just a Thursday in November, you know?
I was just on Tumblr and came across this awesome post on things to do during break, and it’s really inspiring me to tackle some of those things. I’ll insert it here:
“things to do during break: create reading lists and work them off one by one, watch movies in foreign languages, attend lectures or seminars at places you’ve never been to before, discover a new library, visit museums and galleries, send postcards to your friends, take up a new skill like photography/digital drawing, write a daily poem, take an online course on something you always loved, pick flowers and press them, rate 10 cute cafes in town, test how much you can buy for 5$ on a flea market/in second hand shops, just start walking and see where the day takes you, plan a walk/hike/bike tour, start a new blog, create a vision board, write a letter to your future self, go to indie concerts, send cute anonymous messages, try out new ice cream flavors, make your own smoothies, buy artsy magazines, take the train/subway to nowhere, go to a party where you don’t know anyone, ditch a party and spend the whole day reading outside, set up a bullet journal, jot down 5 things you are grateful for each day, create playlist for different moods, try out a new language learning app, unwind and do not use your phone for a day, try meditation, go to a food market, sleep the whole day because you can, go to the theatre/cinema/opera, take aesthetic photos of the prettiest buildings in town” (by StudyBlr).
Thanks for reading this random article with no direction. Wow, this latte is so good. I’m gonna finish it now and make a final list as to what I have to do today. Enjoy your day, and take note of what your particularly grateful for in this very moment. Happy Holidays!