Recently, I started listening to Emma Chamberlain’s podcast, which I now love. A recent episode is titled, “things i like rn,” and it discusses a list of things bringing her happiness at the moment. Inspired by the positivity and fun of this list, I decided to create my own list of things bringing me joy!

My Djerf Avenue robe
I absolutely love the feeling of a good-quality towel after a hot shower. But you know what’s even better? Wrapping yourself in a super soft robe after drying off. You can just sit in luxury for as long as you want, and you won’t get cold. Also, the cute berry pattern brings me so much joy. A lot of the time, the feeling of getting a new shirt or pair of shoes is short-lived, but this robe continues to make me happy every day.

Iced oat milk lattes
I never used to be a coffee drinker. I thought the taste was OK, but it didn’t seem good enough for me to want to drink it daily. During this past finals week, I needed the caffeine. My friend always orders an iced oat milk latte, so I decided to try her’s. Wow. I immediately ordered one of my own, and I haven’t stopped ever since. I don’t know what it is about the creaminess of the milk that makes it taste so good, but it truly brings me happiness every morning.

Going to the gym
In high school, I was a competitive figure skater, which was my main form of exercise. I would do conditioning and go on runs, but that was pretty much it. Whenever I went to the gym this past year, I mainly just did abs and some form of cardio; I never thought I would be a “gym girl.” This summer, I started going to the gym with my brother, who suggested I try out some machines. Since then, I’ve been hooked. There’s something so satisfying about hitting goals and being proud of yourself for the achievements you’ve accomplished.

Reading
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved reading. To encourage me to read when I was little, my parents offered me one “Littlest Pet Shop” toy for every book I read. Soon, they had to rescind this rule. I went through books very fast. I distinctly remember being so immersed in the “Harry Potter” series one time that I lugged one of the huge books around in my soccer bag and read it during our five-minute water break. Once I hit high school, it was harder to find time to read for fun anymore amid all the English and history required reading. However, in college, I’ve started reading more on my phone instead of going on social media. This summer, I’ve already read more than the past two years combined. It makes me feel so happy to return to my childlike wonder at discovering a new story as it unfolds.

My bed at home
This one may be obvious, but I missed my bed so much while I was gone freshman year. I’ve been away from home for a lot of the summer, which makes my time in bed at home even more precious. There’s just nothing else like it!

My UGG dupe slippers
I ordered these slippers from Amazon, expecting them to be a mediocre attempt at UGG dupes. Wow, was I wrong! They are so soft and comfortable and truly bring me joy every time I get to slip my feet into their fluff.

Mac DeMarco’s “One Wayne G” album
In her podcast episode, Emma Chamberlain mentioned how she’s been loving instrumental music recently, specifically “If I Am Only My Thoughts” by Loving and “Five Easy Hot Dogs” by Mac DeMarco, which I promptly downloaded. However, even before I started listening to those albums, I was obsessed with Mac DeMarco’s new “One Wayne G.” Serene, instrumental music is so delightfully relaxing during the summer.

Long skirts
Lastly, one style choice I have loved throughout the entire summer has been maxi skirts. They’re so cute and stylish but so comfortable and breezy. You never have to worry about your bare legs touching a sweaty seat, but you can still stay much cooler than you would in most pants. I am so glad that long skirts are finally getting the recognition they deserve because I have spent too long uncomfortably tugging down short skirts and shorts during the summer. Flowy white skirts especially bring me so much joy; it’s so fun to feel like you’re floating around in the airy fabric.

Writing this list brings me almost as much joy as the things on it! So maybe, writing (especially for the Daily Clog) should be considered the last item. Taking stock of the things that make me happy in little ways always relaxes me and reminds me of the many blessings I enjoy in life. Try it out; you definitely don’t have to go into as much detail as this article! Writing about joy brings me joy, so I hope it will for you too.