On day 4 of the 30-day writing challenge I’m currently doing with my friends, Wes, Darlene (and now Anna!), Darlene did a post on some of her favorite things, which is a wonderful topic to spark the gratitude that I so deeply feel in my life, so I’m going to list some of my own favorite nouns (people, places, things, and ideas), not necessarily in order:

People (some of these people overlap and I’m putting the people in categories because I don’t want to forget anyone specific):

1. My family
2. My friends
3. Many of my former students
4. My church family
5. My academic network & community
6. My Team World Vision running group

Places:

1. Home
2. Hawaii
3. Delicious fine dining restaurants (especially high quality Asian fusion restaurants)
4. Bookstores
5. Tea shops
6. Somewhere quiet in nature
7. Fancy hotels

Things:

1. Car rides
2. Fresh cut flowers (see above)
3. A clean and organized room (you would not know this by coming to my house….ever)
4. Learning
5. Delicious food, all of the foods
6. Running, especially in the morning, and to explore new places or when they give me shinies (that I pay for) to finish races
7. Travel
8. A perfect cup of jasmine tea
9. Writing
10. All things Pusheen & Hello Kitty, and most super adorable cute (kawaii) things
11. When people actually listen to the words coming out of my mouth instead of what they think I’m saying and then respond appropriately (this is not happening, at this exact moment, in my home, by one of my favorite people)
12. Singing

Ideas/Feelings:

1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Love
4. Compassion
5. Gratitude
6. Joy
7. Peace
8. Respect
9. Mutual understanding
10. Identity
11. Humility
12. Justice

So, now, if you don’t know me, you probably know me, because this is pretty much me, in a list of favorite things.