The most recent trend on Instagram asks users to list 20 things that they love or that make them happy. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would share 20 of the things I love most in this world (with my friends, family, and dogs being obvious givens).
1. The 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie
Listen, I don't think I've gone more than 72 hours in this life without talking about my undying love for Colin Firth, but his version just doesn't do it for me. Sure, I appreciate accuracy in book-to-film adaptations, but I also need that scene with the swelling orchestral music as Darcy takes his sweet time strolling through the moors at the crack of dawn to tell Elizabeth how his love for her hasn't changed.
Also, this is just uncomfortable to look at. Keira Knightley would never do this to me.
2. How Netflix automatically plays the next episode
Sometimes, it saves you the guilt of pressing the next button yourself.
3. My Spotify Discover Weekly Playlist
Right now, Spotify seems to think I'm very sad and likely spend my days staring out a window into the rain on a farm as they have only been suggesting acoustic indie folk music for me. However, I still appreciate Spotify going the extra mile and making me a new playlist each week.
4. My Trip to Europe
Before senior year of high school, going on the Modern European History class trip was a huge deal. To actually get to go to London and Paris with some of my favorite people in the whole world was just an above and beyond experience that I will never forget.
5. Writing in my books
I have a lot of used books from book sales and so many of them have marginal notes, or underlines or little doodles. Reading other’s notes always makes me feel like I’m peering into someone else’s mind; when I write, I think about how people would see me if they ever read my notes. That, and my brother hates it when I do this so I love giving him my scribbled in books.
6. Lee Pace’s tweets
This man is a gift to us all, a true national treasure. Without reason or occasion, he will just tweet out an awkward selfie or news about the environment, and it’s hard not to smile at his valiant effort towards sharing both with the world.
7. Cape Cod
My family and I have been going to Cape Cod now for 17 years and it's easily a part of who we are. For two to three weeks every summer, it has been where we've gone to unwind, catch up on all the reading we've wanted, and eat more ice cream than is reasonably healthy. It's like a second home to us, one free from school, work, and any other forms of stress.
8. Kaldi's Peach Smoothies
I was warned on my first day here of Kaldi's exorbitant prices, but the voice in the back of my head just said, "Eh. How bad can it be?"
And then I blew through all the cash of my meal plan before the semester was half over. I still love them, though, and no one can take that away.
9. Beyoncé
In Season 5 of New Girl, Cece and Schmidt remind Nick of how much he loves and trusts Beyoncé; I personally have never related to anything more. Thank you, Beyoncé, for being you.
10. Season 1 of “Daredevil”
You know my article about finding the right book at the right time which didn’t really make sense? That’s how I feel about this show; it premiered at the exact right time in my life that apparently called for an incredibly gory, yet engrossing show. However, I am devoted solely to the first season because the second was unnecessarily sad and the creators should have just chilled with that.
11. House Hunting
I have two different Pinterest boards dedicated to house hunting, based my practice driving routes around which neighborhoods I liked the houses best in, and I've already picked out dream apartments on three different continents. House hunting is for me what fantasy football is for the people who have fantasy football pools: very important.
12. Emory Medical School
A huge thank you to you, big beautiful building for being too far of a walk from everything else for most freshman to justify walking to. I am happiest on the days when I find time to sit on the steps with my laptop and bang out as much homework as I can, all while getting the opportunity to people watch hot young doctors walk by.
13. The Volcano Capri Blue Candles sold at Anthropologie
Okay, I don’t need to explain this to anyone. For those that know, we can all agree. For those who don’t, you now know what very important task lays ahead of you.
14. The New Fork City Instagram
All throughout last year, three of my friends and I would pick a Sunday, pick a neighborhood in Manhattan, pick four or five restaurants off of the New Fork City profile, and eat the day away. The four of us owe a lot of really great memories (not to mention meals and food pics) to that account.
15. Stefon
Staying up to watch Saturday Night Live was always a big deal for me growing up, and never was I happier than when Stefon was on Weekend Update. This bit has everything: New York's hottest clubs, a dream wedding to Seth Meyers, Bill Hader constantly breaking character.
16. The 1975's first album
Whenever I can't find a song or can't focus on whatever I'm working on, I put this album on repeat and listen through it as many times as I need until whatever I'm working on is done. It's become so familiar to me now that it's background music that quiets my mind and allows me to concentrate.
17. H&H Bagels
Do you need a longer explanation than this?
18. The movie Stardust
A classic film starring Michelle Pfeiffer as a decaying witch looking to eat a star, Robert de Niro as a cross dressing magical flying pirate named Shakespeare, and Charlie Cox, the guy from Daredevil but you won't recognize him until you go on IMDB to try and figure out what this monstrosity that you're watching is.
19. John Mulaney's Delta Airlines bit
As someone who can essential only fly one airline out of Atlanta (or, as it is probably known in the airplane world, DeltaLand), this sketch resonates deep in my heart.
20. My Simon Bolívar postcard
No, my last list item is not the deepest or most profound love, but it is still important to me. Two summers ago, I spent four weeks at a pre-college program, which was the longest I had ever been away from home before. On the second to last day, I bought a couple of postcards and wrote my friends little stories on the back. I did the same thing when I went to Europe, and plan to do the same thing at the end of my freshman year.
I kept one postcard from that summer for myself and hung it up as a constant reminder of something good.
Instead of tagging your friends to do this like you would on Instagram, start some conversation at your Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving tables and ask everyone to think of the twenty things they love the most!