Finals week is soon going to be upon us, and with that comes the worst stress of the semester. Rather than freak out about all of the assignments and projects I have coming up, however, I’ve decided to look for the things that I appreciate in life. Today was I was able to enjoy the warm weather, eat cook out food with my friends, and relax with the leftover chocolate my mom got me for Easter. For this, I am feeling especially thankful at the moment, and want to keep the good vibes going.

1. Spur of the moment activities and friends

Like I said, I was able to enjoy some quality cook out food today, and it happened to be a very last minute decision on my part. As far as other spontaneous decisions go, my friends and I also decided to attend the SASA’s event put on for the celebration of Holi in which we participated in a color throw and formal. It’s been a good year that I’ve spent with these people, and some of the most spontaneous adventures have resulted in the most fun.

2. Binge-worthy TV dramas

Sometimes, I honestly just need to clean all of the stale tears out of my system and watch a couple episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. Other times, I need the comfort of Jim relentlessly pranking Dwight in order to get through my week. There’s something to be said for the escape that even the dumbest of TV shows can provide.

3. My family

As far as things I appreciate, I can’t quite put into words how much just being around my family comforts me. Going to my grandma and grandpa’s house and just sitting down for a nice chat does wonders for my mental health. Not to mention, I can’t count the number of times I just call my mom to feel better about life. They’re the people that love you unconditionally no matter how weird they can be. Sometimes I don’t appreciate them enough, but if you guys are reading this, know that you really mean a lot to me.

4. My books

If anyone is a friend of mine on Facebook and gets on their at all, they’ve probably seen the reading competition that I’m currently in with my mom. So far, I’ve managed to read 22 books this school year. I didn’t realize how much I missed reading until I stopped doing it, but there’s nothing like the escape of a good book to melt away my stress.

5. My Aspirations

It feels a little odd to say that I appreciate my aspirations, but I guess what I mean by that is that I’m appreciative that I’ve found something that I’m so passionate about. Just talking about organs and the respiratory system gets me excited, and I’m a happy human when I think about what the future holds for me.

6. Greek Life

I know, I know, I talk about it sooooo much. In my defense, however, this is a relatively new thing for me and it was definitely the right decision for me to make. All of you cool dudes that share my letters have a huge impact on me. Even when I don’t necessarily need a shoulder to cry on, knowing that I have over 100 at the ready gives me a sense of comfort and belonging.

7. "Best Fran"

2018 has brought a few big changes to my life, but one of the better ones was my childhood best friend moving to Indy this year and getting to spend more time with her. I feel like there was a bit of a gap in our friendship the last two years where we both got super busy, but that gap has quickly closed with La Piedad dates and impromptu shopping trips for formal dresses and prom shoes. Perhaps a complete letter to Sarah Jane Barr from the J Barr Ranch is in order, but for now, this one paragraph will have to suffice.

This is far from a comprehensive list of the things I’m thankful for, but I hope that it encouraged anyone reading this to think about the things that they appreciate in life. Sometimes, life just seems like a pile of poop. Other days, however, I’m overwhelmed by all of the good in my life and I’m just ecstatic to be living. Each day has its ups and downs, but thanks to the people and things on this list, I like to think that I have more ups than I do downs.