1. I've been getting to bed on time

I’m a Paki girl, at heart. And after high school, staying up late till three or four had become almost something of a daily occurrence. But imagine the relief of being able to fall asleep at 10:30 and knowing when you wake up that you don’t look like a zombie (dark circles are a serious pain).

2. I can finally describe the weather

It’s said that weather is one of the most introduced subjects to converse on between strangers. But when your mind is constantly hovering between exams and papers, it’s easy to lose track of any outside world at all. It was a joy to burst inside my house in the morning and proclaim “The weather is so nice today!”

3. It's spurred miracles for the poet in me

Writing poetry has always been an outlet for my emotions and these past few months have been particularly stress-worthy. The scent of the rain dew and the flashes of sun through the foliage made words bubble to my core and helped my writing.

4. You never know what sort of creatures you’ll run into

Besides the regular visits to our local pond of birds, ducks, geese and squirrels, I managed to see a possum up close. I’ll confess, the city girl in me danced all the way back to my bicycle in delight (although seeing it play dead would have doubled the thrill).

5. My family noted a reduction in my Grinch-ness

You would think being allowed to sleep in would do wonders for my disposition. Rather, it’s always had much the opposite effect on me; I spend all day with a migraine, and glare at every casual look and remark as if it were intended as a personal affront. Waking up early just made me feel brighter and more cheerful.

6. There’s more time to do everything on my ‘procrastination list’

All right, maybe I won’t be able to master sewing, bake an Instagram-worthy dessert, read the entirety of my Goodreads to-read list, write a review on the latest poetry, and practice my henna skills all at once but it’s nice knowing I have time to give to other pursuits like sketching, sewing and scribbling poetry—and even if I end up being lazy, it’s more hours to binge-watch Korean dramas.

7. It gives me a sense of control

This is proof that not all my resolutions are doomed to end in failure and self-blame; let’s just see how long this beatified state of existence will stretch.