It wasn't until this semester that I really started to appreciate the great, little things in life. I've been busy with a plate more full than than I initially imagined, and more so than ever -- I'm tired. I'm 21, not far off from 22, yet I feel old. One of the biggest signs is that my body doesn't quite recover from hangovers like it used to. I get off a late shift and the only thing I can think about is how amazing a hot shower and a cold beer sounds. In the words of Blink-182, "I guess this is growing up."
A few years ago -- hell, even a year ago -- I'd come home from a long day of class and be pumped. I'd be ready for anything. There was nothing an energy drink or a power nap couldn't fix. I hate to say it, but adulthood is sinking in. I've opened with and closed bars before, I've done all night gaming/Netflix binges, you name it. Now, I'm happy if I can get a half hour's worth of homework and a 20-minute episode of something in on Netflix before I pass out with my lights on and my computer on my face.
In the hustle and bustle of life, we get so wrapped up in what the big things coming for us are. Graduation. Getting hired for an internship. That giant party coming up. But we need to sit down and appreciate the small things in life too, because I believe those are what matter more. In all my years, never has a hot shower done more for me than when I get home. After being on my feet almost all day, never has my bed felt so welcoming.
With our busy plates, life is stressful. So much is expected from us, when we have little experience. Yeah, we're handling it. We know we can do it. But we're not exactly used to it. So when life gets tough, when life gets stressful, here's my advice: take a hot shower and drink a cold beer. Never underestimate the power of a hot shower and a cold beer. It sounds implied, but it's often overlooked. Live in the moment of that shower, really take an extra minute to feel it. Let it relax you, don't focus on all the things you have to do that day, or what you need to do tomorrow. Spend that 15 minutes thinking about nothing, or those weird shower thoughts we all get. And as for the beer, do the same. Sit down for 15 minutes and enjoy it.
Big moments in life don't come as often as the little ones. If you spend all of your days like a robot, and only enjoy certain big things in your life, then you will spend most of your days unhappy. Enjoy the little comforts in life. A hot shower. A cold beer. The feeling you get when you lay in bed after a long day. Seeing the jackass who cut you off on the highway getting pulled over. Smiling at another human being, causing them to smile. A good burger. An extra 20 minutes of sleep. Someone leaving 20 minutes left on a parking meter. However small they might be, it's the little things that really add up to make your life better.
