1. The feel of the ocean lapping at my feet.
The smell of salt in the air and shriek of gulls always reminds me of home... No wonder I got so comfortable in Utah (though it took me a solid year to not be freaked out by seeing a seagull that far inland). But the briny waters of the Great Salt Lake have nothing on the cold, raucous power of the ocean. I love to wade in the surf or right along the water's edge as the waves roll in, at times rough and ready to plough you down, at others, slow and lolling, mere bubbles foaming between your toes.
I may have grown up on the coast, but I come from country stock, and maybe it's all a little romanticized in my head, but it's where my heart is.
To say I wasn't exactly daddy's little girl is a huge understatement, but as I've grown older and gone through the cathartic process of writing about the, well, troubled, relationship he and I once had, I have grown closer to him than I ever could have imagined. I haven't watched my dad with Bella yet, but I've already heard stories from my mom about my dad trying to get babe's first toddling steps on camera, only to realize after the fact that he hadn't actually been filming (doesn't that just sound like a grandfatherly thing to do?) And then there is this picture... that just brings up an inexplicable swelling of pride and emotion that I can't rightly describe in words.
4. A packed house on Game Day.
Shortly after I moved to Provo I described football as the exciting new boyfriend (hockey being the ex I'd known all my life and still cared very deeply about). Doing athletic marketing for two seasons, I got to enjoy the rush of being on the field, at times nearly getting nailed by stray passes, or having the players barrel into you. But even from the furthest bleacher, there is something special about a Cougars football game-- the chanting of the crowd, the "Rise and Shout" of the loyal, and of course, the extremely neat experience of more than 60,000 people bowing their heads together in prayer before each and every kick off.
5. The love of someone special.
When this little monkey came along, I felt the tug of love at first sight... and I became "Auntie Brooke" to a brood that I love like they are my own flesh and blood. But this particular little boy has always been mine somehow, a special kindred spirit. His smile and unquestioning love have had the whole Grinch-discovering-Christmas effect on me-- absolutely making my heart swell. My favorite moment though, came last fall when his mom relayed a very important message-- it seems he had made up his mind, and had his little heart set on marrying me. Sure is nice to know someone feels that way.
6. This dance.
This is ballet dancer Alex Wong of Vancouver, and superman Twitch doing a hip hop routine that has never been bested on the show. That whole season of So You Think You Can Dance (season 7, I believe) was absolutely stellar-- in fact, you should probably check out this piece while you're at it, though it's more of a make you cry (in a good way) type of routine:
Though I myself cannot dance (but it's on my bucket list people, don't worry... I will eventually get around to it) I have always loved watching dance. I love all kinds of dance-- ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, hip hop and aaaaallll the variations that go along with that. I love the lines, the incredible extension of limbs, the ability to draw so much emotion through physical movement. SYTYCD especially makes me smile because I get invested in the dancers and that makes their breakthrough a-ha moments so much sweeter to watch.
7. Cooling off on a hot day.
8. The view from the top.
9. Road trips with friends.
10. Camping. Cooking. Cooking while camping.
11. A baby's laughter
12.The subtle roughness in the grain of paper under your fingers when you're engrossed in a great novel.
13. Vaguely inappropriate or suggestive statements.
I'm not going to lie... I'm a sucker for a well deserved "That's what she said".
14. Blake Shelton and Adam Levin's bromance.
15. Smashing and shooting things for recreation.
I have lived in 'Murica for four years, so it only seems right. Hammerball is about the only heart breaking I do... It may take me a swing or two, but when I connect, I mean it, and I'm not too shabby of a shot with a sturdy pump action shotgun either.
16. My siblings never getting too big or too old to snuggle up with mom on a lazy morning...
...Or pull amateur pranks on one another.
17. Daydreaming about what I might do in my career... or what my future life might look like.
Something like this... minus the overalls perhaps.
18. Songs that perfectly match your feelings.
19. A really good, intellectual conversation.
Like a sir! Seriously, there is nothing more attractive than a super engaging conversation with a guy who is smart and interesting. These last few weeks at Voices for America's Children have been awesome mixing up girl chat with strong opinions on important matters over long lunches with the other interns-- smart chicks who repeatedly put a smile on my face, even when our personal points were incredibly divergent.
20. The fact that my great-grandma recently celebrated her 104th birthday.
All her faculties intact too... now those are some good genes!
21. Watching friends commit eternity to one another.
22. Indulging in my favorite guilty pleasures... like Nicholas Spark novels, the Bachelorette and the ever predictable chick flick.
Lets be honest-- Nicholas' Sparks novels are practically synonymous with chick flicks anyways.
I get that this doesn't work like 99% of the time, but I find it highly entertaining, worthy of a few laughs while still being heartfelt at times.
I mean, seriously, "You're my exception!" It's probably one of the corniest lines ever, and completely discounts the overriding message from the rest of the movie, but it can still make a girl swoon. Who isn't looking for their one true exception?
23. Cheesy Mormon jokes.
24. Trying new things.
25. Girls Nights Out.
Whether it's dinner and dancing or playing on a tire swing at all hours, a night out with the ladies is always worth a smile.
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