Inspired by and taken from my Notes app.
- March 13 8:02 p.m.
As I sat in No Thai with my sister for dinner, I waited patiently for my crab rangoons. When the staff called a loud 87 from behind the counter and I saw the plate, I felt the jolt of excitement like a little kid getting to eat ice cream on a sunny day. They were the perfect combination of cheese and crab and crunch. It was mesmerizing.
- March 14 11:04 p.m.
The Joe’s pizza I ate was warm and just what I needed on the cool night after chapter, surrounded by my friends. Sometimes, when I’m surrounded by people in a loud environment, I take a moment to let the sensation of feeling wanted sink in. These people want me here, just like how I want to be there.
- March 15 8:52 a.m.
The birds were chirping an unfamiliar tune on my way to class, so I took my Airpods out to listen to their music instead of mine.
- March 15 6:58 p.m.
As I walked out of the Kinesiology Building to get dinner, I could feel happiness radiate off of everyone like the sun’s rays. It was like the air was charged with something electric, rendering an animated atmosphere that made me feel alive.
- March 15 7:35 p.m.
My body felt warm in the small study room after speed walking there from No Thai, sweat lining my neck from the sunny day outside. My pad seeyu was still steaming when I popped the lid off. Snapping the chopsticks apart, I found it had a lot of broccoli and egg, just the way I like it.
- March 16 12:28 p.m.
I sat up in bed and I could hear the birds. As I shut my eyes to soak in their chirps, I realized they were slowly becoming my favorite sound.
- March 16 5:32 p.m.
It felt like a real college campus seeing people hammocking and playing frisbee and spikeball and smiling and running around. They were enjoying the beauty of youth, even amidst a campus that is so fast-paced and defines success based on the number of internships someone has and the grade they got on the past exam. But at that moment, it seemed like everyone had put their responsibilities aside for the day and it felt like we were all in this together.
- March 17 3:00 p.m.
Because I couldn’t miss out on joining, I was one of those people hammocking and smiling. Every time the sun would peek through the clouds, everyone seemed to be a little happier than before. It was my turn to take a bite of that beauty of youth because it isn’t served often, or maybe rather, I don’t take advantage of the opportunities when they arise because I’m so focused on upcoming deadlines and responsibilities. I hadn’t seen that many carefree smiles in a long time, so I wanted to be part of that youthful cloud enveloping everyone.
- March 19 12:09 a.m.
I came home from a big/little reveal and was supposed to go out with my friend even though I wasn’t up for it, so when she admitted she didn’t want to go out either, it felt like a mix of relief and a moment when our friendship strengthened. It was a telepathic connection where we were both thinking the same thing but were afraid to disappoint each other, so this open honesty left us even happier.
- March 20 6:14 p.m.
Sitting in the classroom waiting for my turn to present in the room next door was much less unbearable after I ripped open a box of chocolate Lucky Charms and excitedly tore into the bag. They proved to be better than the original kind. I scooped some out of the box and passed it to my friends next to me, and luckily, I got more marshmallows than cereal.
- March 20 7:30 p.m.
The No Thai order was only $10 instead of $11.66, so then I didn’t have to deal with loose change and cash all over my pockets.
- March 20 9:15 p.m.
When I took my heels off and slipped on my socks and Reeboks, I felt the instant relief from my toes no longer being smushed.
- March 21 7:57 p.m.
In another encounter with my business professional heels, they didn’t pick a fight with me and slipped on easily instead of getting stuck on the heel of my foot like they always do. I didn’t even have to go through the process of sitting down and pinching my finger between the shoe and my foot.
- March 22 10:22 a.m.
In my rush to get out of my apartment and make it to my meeting in time, my hair cooperated instead of being a mad struggle. I got the perfect part line on my first shot and was able to make it out in time.
- March 22 9:51 p.m.
My HopCat order didn’t come with silverware but then I found chopsticks in my backpack with which I was able to enjoy the food even though it had gone cold.
- March 23 5:29 p.m.
Someone held the door open for me and proceeded to compliment my hair and outfit. Enough said. This always gets me smiling.
Remembering to appreciate little things that happen has kept me grounded. It makes the bad moments not seem so bad, and the good moments even better. These events may seem unimportant to someone else because they’re not applicable to their lives, but they mean the world to me. They’re little pieces of sporadic instances that remind me to reflect and be grateful, which is so important as it allows us to turn that autopilot off and really be present with what we find happiness in. They’re little pieces of life that show me how, even if it’s rainy or windy or freezing, I’m here in this world where the birds will still chirp tomorrow morning.
MiC Columnist Hannah Nguyen can be reached at hannahnn@umich.edu.