My favorite things are very random and vary from food to memories and more. The common theme in these things is that they bring me joy and I have positive memories and feelings associated with them. These things are what I look forward to and what I use as motivation to get through the hard days. They make me want to keep working and stay focused on the good in life and not get caught up in the lows. These things give me instant surges of seratonin and while some may seem strange, they are significant to me.

1. Going out to breakfast

Going out to eat for breakfast is a tradition among my friends and me. After a sleepover, we love going to The Coffee Station in the morning. We have so much fun talking about the previous night. Breakfast is the best meal to go out for because it starts your day off on a good note. Another breakfast place I like is Dunkin’ Donuts. I always get the same thing each time I go: a medium black iced (or hot, depending on the weather) coffee. One of my friends and I have a ritual of getting Dunkin’ on the way to the shore every time we go. It is a tradition that I appreciate and something I look forward to.

2. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is easily one of my favorite foods. I have enjoyed eating peanut butter since I was a little kid. Bringing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to lunch was a core part of my childhood. I love peanut butter with apples, or on a toasted english muffin. It is my most frequently consumed food and a comfort food.

3. My Playlists

I have always been a huge fan of Spotify since middle school. I love making and organizing my music into categorized playlists. I like to make them cohesive and flow together. The music on each playlist is supposed to represent a mood or feeling that it will initiate in me. My favorite time to listen to these playlists is on a long car ride. It soothes me to listen to a relaxing playlist while driving, especially if I am alone. The best time to be alone, in my opinion, is when you are driving. Listening to music while driving in solitude is a great time to reflect and ease your mind and it is something that makes me feel better, no matter how bad life seems to be at that moment.

4. Gift Wrapping

Wrapping gifts during the holiday season is one of my favorite traditions. I love choosing a patterned paper and making the gift look festive and vibrant.  Being that I am a neat and organized person, I like to reflect that when I wrap presents. I enjoy spending time during the holidays to wrap presents because it gets me in the Christmas spirit.

5. Coffee

A cup of coffee in the morning is the best way to start the day off. It wakes me up and gives me a kick start to my day. I love the taste of coffee, so much that I prefer to drink it black. My favorite coffee related memory is a tradition I had all of last year. Every Friday, I went to Dunkin’ before school. My neighbor, Kaitlyn  drove me to school everyday, so on Fridays, Kait, her brother Kris, our other neighbor Joey, and myself would go get breakfast at Dunkin’. It was a highlight of my week and gave me something to look forward to.

6. The feeling after you finish a run

The feeling after finishing a run is always so satisfying. It makes me feel like I have accomplished soemthing, because I pushed myself to perform to the best of my ability. It is scientifically proven that after 7 minutes of running your brain releases a “happy” chemical that brings serotonin to your mind. This is called a runner’s high and is a breathtaking feeling.

7. Walking to my car at the end of the school day on Friday

The walk to the car on a Friday is one of the most exciting and relieving feelings ever. Everyone is in a rush to get out of there as fast as possible and the energy is unmatched. Whether I have big weekend plans or not, leaving school on a Friday is always a good feeling. After a long week of stress and hard work, getting to leave for the weekend is a great reward for a rigorous week of school.

8. Airports

I love airports because I have good memories of traveling in airports. Airports are full of excitement to me. They symbolize adventures to new places and vacations with lots of fun times.

9. Sunrises

Sunrises are truly one of the most beautiful sights in nature. The vivid colors and motion of the rising sun is amazing. I like sunrises better than sunsets for two reasons. The first reason is that you have to wake up early and make a conscious effort to see a sunrise; this makes it even more rewarding, because you have to motivate yourself to get up and go see it. The second reason is that it starts your day out in a good way. If the first thing you see in the morning is the sunrise, you’ve had a pretty good day so far.

10. Outdoor showers

Outdoor showers are not a commonly found thing in suburban areas like Garnet Valley, but they are more prevalent at the beach. It is a strange thing to love, but something about taking an outdoor shower after a long day on the beach is so refreshing and relaxing. The water cools off my crisp skin and being outside in the fresh air makes the shower even more peaceful.