
(Photo credit: Za broza, Daniye)
THE TEN THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY.
Today marks the beginning of my #30DaysWritingChallenge running through the month of September.
Of all the challenges I’ve done this year, I think this one’s my favorite one yet. It’s even better because I’m doing this with Zubs. Or at least, I think I am.
Here goes day 1. List Ten Things That Make You Happy.
10. Hotel rooms: Most recollections I have of a hotel room is pure, unfiltered bliss. There’s an unexplainable excitement I feel every time I settle into a new one, especially when I’m away in a different city far, far away from home. I would find the slightest excuse to hop into the shower and wash my hair, if I’m wearing it natural (I mean, I’m not responsible for unclogging the drain, right?) and then snuggle under freshly laundered sheets after propping up the pillows a gazillion times. Some of my all time favorite things to do as a guest at any hotel include; take the lift up and down the floors for absolutely no reason at all (I’ve never gotten the perfect elavator selfie tbh), ask friends or acquaintance in that city to meet me by the poolside and very importantly, go to the bar. I always go to the bar… especially when it’s a stunning bar. Just being away in a cozy space (even within Lagos) does the most amazing things for all my senses. So much so that I almost always never want to leave.
9. Mosques: I’ve held a serious fascination with mosques for the longest time. They’ve always been a thing for me. There’s something so appealing about the dome curvature and the beautiful windows found in mosque architecture. And then of course, the crescent moon…
The National Mosque in Abuja is one of my personal faves and any time I’m in the city and drive past it, I keep my eyes locked on it until my neck is bent at an impossible angle that would see it snap if I just left it. So, like a little girl, I’ll change from a seating to kneeling position on the back seat just to keep staring. There’s another quaint, little mosque at the hospital complex where I school and it is literally, the cutest little thing. No one knows this but in my head, I nicknamed it larondo. It’s not the number one National Mosque in the county but it’s pretty in its own rights. It’s amazing how I’ve never set foot into a mosque.
8. Good News Secrets: Look, when I’m working on a big project and get amazing news that I know I shouldn’t share, I’m like a balloon. It’s worse when a friend tells me a secret of their own big news and asks me not to announce it, I honestly think I’d die from being giddy with excitement. When I’m with other people and they’re speculating about certain things I have solid deets on but can’t talk about and have to keep smiling and acting brand new and playing with the rim of my glass, it is almost orgasmic.
7. My work: And I mean any work at all I find to do. To be fair, I’m very selective when I start finding work at all but anything that bears the name “Temi’s work” apart from some select house chores gives me an intense feeling of satisfaction. Someone asked me what I’ll do if I never had to work a day in my life and I swear I’d never felt so naked and vulnerable. He was trying to ask what the point was to work if we removed renumeration and I told him in all honesty that I enjoyed my work. He muttered something about it being an academic answer but it is what it is. There’s a part to me that could be quite competitive against the rest of us, she’s the one who lives for a challenge.
6. Back rubs: I believe a very important personality in heaven personally handpicked back rubs as one of the Must Haves for a good life. And even though I honestly appreciate when I get back rubs from some of my friends, no one quite does it like the bae while I drift off to sleep. I am a happy and content kitten in those moments until my eyes flutter open when I discover he’s faltering.
5. Bible verses that spring to life: Some of the simplest things have a way of always reminding me of my christian faith and God’s presence in my life. Sometimes, after I’ve had a long rough day, I want nothing more than to collapse into bed after a warm (read as: scalding hot) bath and relax some. As soon as my head hits the pillow, just as I begin to feel sleep take over me and before my heavy eyelids finally succumb, I think about the part of scripture which talks about how the Lord gives His beloved sleep and I feel deeply loved.
Another frequently recurring one is when I find myself at a buffet (buffets are the best thing dot com) and while I’m struggling to decide on where to start, I think of how God prepares a table before me[…] and I feel really, really happy. End of church, Amen!
4. Hanging out/in with my friends: I like that I can go out and have a good time or decide to stay in and have an even better time. I like being surrounded by my good friends. I like it more when I can entertain; food, drink, my playlist, cake! And the gisting and scheming and being accountable to each other. It makes me really happy.
I find that for me, baking is quite therapeutic. Baking and decorating cakes has always calmed some of my most terrible cases of nerves so it only makes sense that I must enjoy this activity and nothing makes me happier than seeing people falling over themselves to eat the cake I make.
3. Teasing my siblings: As the first child, I strongly believe it is part of my constitutional rights to tease my siblings. Some days, they’re reeling with laughter at one of my silly jokes or as cold as ice because of something I did or said but knowing all of our exchanges back and forth comes from a place of love makes me feel good inside. We are fiercely protective of each other, too.
I always tease my only brother for leaving a pair of arguably the best pair of heels (some grey, pointy-toed, Bershka patent leather pumps — they were my pride and joy) on an Abuja bound flight from Lagos. It hurt me then (still does a tad, tbh) and so from time to time, I remind him about his carelessness with solid proof. His reaction to it makes me giggle. Totally worth it.
2. The 0.1 version of my boujee life: I’m not at the level where I want to be with respect to boujee living (heck, I’m nowhere at all). But hey, I still make most of my limited resources. Travelling makes me super happy especially when I’m traveling alone; road trips with the family, long ass layovers on connecting flights, 18 hour train rides with Bubba — I love them all. I read the most on these trips. I try new cuisine, listen to new songs, take the most crappy photographs (some would argue that they’re awesome) as I play pretend that I’m some undiscovered, yet intensely private Brandon Stanton. I cook something fancy and go all out with the best plates we own just to allow the epicurean in me some level of expression.
A good chunk of these only happen when I have money so I hope I have loads more in the nearest future. Money makes being happy really easy. So yeah, money… money makes me happy. I didn’t want to sound crude at first. Lol
1. Kisses: I love being kissed. I feel a surge of serotonin gushing through my veins. The End.
