wonderful wednesday

linda and me - rader's family farm - normal, illinois - october 25, 2011.

with the stress of work today, there was nowhere less i wanted to be than at my desk today.

then my phone started blinkingred.

a new message.

it was from my friend alex, who i haven't talked to in a while, and who i haven't seen in an even longer while.

hearing from him made me smile (genuinely) and made me remember how good it can be to hear from good friends, where distance may keep you apart. 

that got me thinking of the things that make me genuinely happy.

by default, i am a happy person. my laugh can be heard all the way across the office. people tell me i am easily entertained. i'm rarely bored or upset for too long. 

but today, alex's out-of-the-blue message really made put a smile on my face and gave my voice a happy spring. 

here are 15 things that make me smile.

1. unexpected messages from old friends.

me and alex, sophomore year, fall 2007.

3. a full tank of gas.

4. crisp fall air.

5. comfortable silences between really good friends.

6. navy blue and white striped shirts, of which i own about 5. 

7. boys who wear boat shoes or toms or classic blue vans skating shoes. 

8. when the dress you want fits perfectly.

9. waking on your own time to a day with absolutely no plans. or a day full of fun, exciting, adventure-inducing ones.

10. when your friends uploads the pictures from a great weekend before you even get home.

11. driving home after 10 on a sunday and unexpectedly tuning in to dawson mccallister's radio show on kissFM. always a treat to gain some perspective on your life right before the work week.

12. finding things i "need" on trips to ikea!

13. planning vacations with or to visit people i love.

14. the atmosphere at a really, really good concert.

i'm in the cut-offs, getting my juke on at deadmau5 - epic dance party at lollapalooza, august 7 2011 (as you can tell by the annoying date tag in the corner). 

15. airports. being on an airplane. take off and touch down. ascent and descent. delays. airport food. magazine shopping at the gate. 8+ hour flights to new worlds. people watching. the fact that everyone is going somewhere. being in the sky before the sun rises, and staying there after it has set.

san francisco to chicago - october 17, 2011.

what always makes you happy? what brings out your laugh lines?