There is all the joy in the world to be found in the inconspicuous, seemingly meaningless intricacies of regular life. I am a devout advocate for enjoying the small, in-between moments. I refuse to be the adult who counts down to the weekend, to their vacation days, to some irrelevant time in the future. I refuse to have societal blinders on so tight that I can’t appreciate the simplicity in front of me everyday.

I want the small things to enrapture me with joy every time I experience them, like freshly fallen snow or viscous vanilla scents. Laughing so hard with a loved one you both go silent and erupt with more laughter when you meet each other’s eyes once again. The ritualistic nature of making my afternoon tea; the pleasure of deciding which tea to have, which sweet snack to accompany it. A warm shower after a difficult day, lathering with amber scented soaps and letting my troubles go down the drain with the suds. The special energies of metaphysical shops. Letting my intuition guide me, slowly walking around the shop, eyeing crystals and incense with intentional grace. The head nod and smile from strangers you cross paths with. Frying onions, watching them dance in the hot oil, gently lifting them off the bottom of the pan and seeing them caramelize. Books, everything about them. Starting a new one. Finishing one and basking in the completeness. Getting lost in one, unable to put it down. New ones, with crisp spines and flat covers. Old ones, with yellow stains and dog ears. Loudly playing awful but nostalgic songs from my youth while scrubbing my bathroom sink and catching up on dishes.

I could write a thousand more pages about the small things I love, because my life is nothing but these small things. Everyday I look at the world in childlike wonderment because I truly believe that is where the joy in life lies. I refuse to devote my life to chasing the highs; doing so leaves me with the lowest lows. I move through my life slowly, with purpose, stopping to realize I will never duplicate this exact moment ever again in my life, however small. And that’s how I like it.