As the holiday season approaches, I find that it is important to reflect on the things we are all grateful for. So, I decided to curate a list of my ten favorite things below. This exercise helped brighten my mood and showed me all of the reasons why I love my life. I suggest trying it if you haven’t!

1. My family 

My family brings me so much joy. My immediate family, consisting of my Mom, Dad, and brother, Raymond, has spent an incredible amount of time together this year throughout quarantine, and I have loved it all! We play games, go on hikes, and watch movies together; they make me laugh, smile, and home is wherever they are!

2. Volleyball

I love the feeling of being on the court with my friends, getting a point, and coming together to scream with success. Volleyball is not one of my favorite things because of the sport itself, but because of the happiness I feel being connected to every other girl on the court. 

3. My extended family

I was going to add my extended family into the ‘Family’ section, but I love my extended family for different reasons; I enjoy being with my cousins, and I am happy to have people that I know will always be close to me, no matter what happens. 

4. Music

I am not being particular about what type of music is my favorite thing because I like all different types of music. Music is a nice escape for me outside of school and friends and such. It is nice to hear music playing and be able to relate to someone I don’t even know. 

5. Star Wars

This is something new that is one of my favorite things. Star Wars is an interesting saga that has numerous different themes running through it. I love to see the relationships between different characters develop and the importance of family shine through the plot. 

6. My friends

I am eternally grateful for a few of my friends, and I could simply spend hours with each of them. I love to be with them, and they always provide me someone to talk to about the things I am upset about. 

7. Christmas Season

I LOVE the Christmas season. There is something about December that seems to make everyone just a little bit happier. The music is nostalgic for me, and I entirely enjoy the clothing and movies that come along with the season. 

8. Snow

Snow is incredibly fun to play in. One can make anything they want with snow, and it always takes me back to times in my youth when I would play with my brother and my neighbors. It was such an incredible day when I would wake up to find out that I slept in and we had a day off from school. 

9. Vacations

I love going on vacations with my family and seeing different parts of the world. I am so thankful that I have these opportunities, and it is so nice to have time just to relax. 

10. Disney

Disney is my favorite place, for sure. Everyone at Disney is always very happy, and I love being in that atmosphere; kids at Disney are meeting their heroes, and it is beautiful to see!