happy lists

This photo + book caught my eye while I was browsing a sweet little blog, Ducks Like Tea. So I looked up 14,000 Things To Be Happy About on Amazon, and found an excerpt, the beginnings of a long, stream of conscious style list.

And what a creative list it is! I'm astounded by the countless details and images. (Muses for poets + writers, no doubt!) I like the simplicity in each description, the tiny piece of joy every item brings with it. Maybe happy lists are the key to true contentment? I tend to focus a lot on the big picture + the future, so I'm glad I'm being reminded of the sweet things in the present. That's one thing I learned in hindsight about my time abroad: the best memories are not the grand ones, but rather the simple pleasures, like:

... hot apple strudel and spiced cappuccino in Berlin
... funny money and evening dessert in Budapest
... sunny weather, heavenly tapas, and sugary churros in Barcelona
... stumbling upon a green exhibit in Milan
... a colorful Thai restaurant's wall and dinner crepes in Paris
... mouthwatering salad and the Mediterrian Sea shore in Marseille

I have to admit, I had a hard day today. But that's what happy lists are for, recalling happy memories to cheer us up. Am I right? (Clearly, my memories involve lots of food. Ha.)