oh the little things

i seriously miss going on long road trips especially at night. i used to beg my parents and then my friends (when i got to college) to leave late in the evening so we won't waste the entire day traveling. but really, it was just an excuse to stay up all night in a cold bus/car, just watching the moon and the colorful lights. i also get weirdly excited when we get to a stopover. 

another thing that i sorely miss is doing my "little joys" list. i used to keep a journal with this kind of list when i was in high school, and for a rebellious only child with a lot of shallow issues (which i thought were really serious that time), that list made me grounded and grateful for the small blessings in life. i've no idea where that journal is right now. baka tinapon or i left it in one of my boxes in davao. but i still remember some of the things i wrote: 

* long roadtrips at night

* stopovers!

* the fresh smell and the warm feel of freshly laundered towels (i admit getting really sleepy when i wrap mself in a towel pagkanakakuha ako ng bagong labang tuwalya)

* short lines at the grocery 

* that cold feel from the first drop of a newly opened lotion bottle on your feet (maybe because malamig sa supermarket?)

* nine pillows and my queen size bed (i have a queen size bed in davao. i sleep on a single double deck bed here in manila.. im so poor talaga here)

* pizza and pasta and ice cream takeouts on saturday mornings

* lechon lunch on a sunday 

- when i was in 4th yr, my parents decided to stop hiring househelps since it was hard to find honest kasambahays. on weekends, nakakatamad minsan magluto or too late na to cook after our weekly saturday grocery, so takeout na lang. worked for me <3 <3 <3

* ginataang langka with ribs and daing for lunch after a tiring work on the farm (i only helped w/ the planting one time, since i got really sick afterwards. pero the feeling ng super simple meal prepared by the caretakers of our farm plus mainit na kanin and malamig na tubig (bawal coke) was more than perfect)

* new year's day (i usually get really tired come new year's eve since nakakastress ang ingay ng firecrackers.. new year's day feels a lot more fresher, plus andaming food from last night. heehee)

* eating left-overs from Christmas for the entire week before new year's celebration (one of my favorites!)

these days, with my very hectic schedule and stressful personality (hahaha. stressful kasi akong tao), i rarely get the chance to stop and reflect on these things. maybe its time to bring back those simple joys that give way to silly, involuntary smiles which last the entire day.