Loving Life

Since I just did a post about a lot of the shitty things that have gone on in my life, I thought I’d do another post about my life’s happier moments.

On a romantic level, I’ve done all kinds of cool things. I’ve dated twelve guys and had serious relationships with two of them – I’ve even tried online dating. I’ve cooked a delicious meal with a guy on Valentine’s Day, had complex philosophical and cinematic discussions with a man, ridden on the back of a guy’s motorcycle, and held hands with someone on a hilltop looking up at the stars together. My absolute favorite date ever is once when I went with a guy to the aquarium, and we got to see a little newborn baby sea otter with its mother.

I’ve given to charities, including children’s hospitals, cancer charities, and charities that help poverty stricken people learn to grow their own food.

I’ve done all kinds of hobbies: dance, karate, ice skating, roller blading, horseback riding, and so many more. I’ve also taken lessons in guitar, voice, and creative writing. I’ve performed music in front of people. I’ve been a part of feminist clubs and writer’s groups and acting camps.

I’ve taken trips – to Washington DC and Philadelphia (where I saw the Declaration of Independence and the original Constitution), road trips all across the Western United States, Disneyland and Disneyworld trips, and a cruise I took with my family to the Bahamas (where I discovered lots of fun but also my first real taste of global poverty).

I’ve tried camping and whitewater rafting, gone swimming and snorkeling in the ocean, been to rock concerts, had foreign pen pals, and gone on night hikes and trips to the fair. I’ve been to comic cons and art museums alike. I’ve gone to themed costume parties.

I stayed up at a bookstore till midnight for the release of the seventh Harry Potter book.

I was once featured in my local college chapter of Humans of New York. At an on campus coffee shop, the barista accidentally made me two espressos instead of one. I offered my second to a guy who turned out to be a photographer for the “Humans Of” art movement. He took a picture of me in a pretty purple sweater and put up a quote from me talking about the undervaluing of introversion in our culture, and how sad it is that I’m judged because I spend time alone in contemplation and reading.

I’ve had two jobs: a job as an assistant librarian in high school, and then an internship as a business writer for an environmental organization during one summer in college.

On top of that, I love my family, I love my pets, and I’ve had incredible friends. My friendships have ranged from the wife of a college professor, to a Christian waitress and bartender who wants to open her own small business, to a Goth linguistics major.

I’ve lived in several different places and gone to two different colleges. I’ve studied not only English, social science, and philosophy, but also business and Marketing.

I would consider myself spiritual and politically involved. I’m a Buddhist Christian and a liberal. I meditate and pray, and often sign online petitions. I firmly believe my vote counts.

My favorite classical novels are Jane Eyre and Frankenstein. My favorite romantic comedy is 500 Days of Summer. My favorite contemporary romance novels were all written by John Green.

My first kiss was when I was 21; my first boyfriend walked me back to my college dorm room door, and when I asked shyly for a kiss, he gave me a soft, chaste one.

For senior prom, I bought a lavender ball gown and rented a white limo and went stag with my girlfriends. Our prom took place on an old tourist trap retired aircraft carrier. There was free candy and rides below deck, and then a dance held amid the giant hulking shapes of retired planes above-deck. The California city lights sparkled out over the calm water. I laughed and danced dorkily with my friends.

My 21st birthday was a quiet glass of wine at a nice Italian restaurant with some girlfriends. I love wine – the really smooth, moist red wines are my favorite. I also like mixed drinks. Brandy Alexanders and French 75s are fabulous. I love trying interesting drinks. I’m one of those fruity, sophisticated drinkers.

I adore coffee – dark roast, strong, and black, please – and my two big vices are long, hot showers and sleeping in way too late. I love pugs, Studio Ghibli movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton in general, Harry Potter, The Beatles, My Chemical Romance, Mindless Self Indulgence, Paramore, Cage the Elephant, and Depeche Mode. My favorite pop stars are Lady Gaga and Sia. I adore strong female musicians because I still don’t think we see their example often enough.

I’m big on body positivity because I used to be so chronically underweight. I’m the boss at loving unpopular ships. I love all body types and both men and women, but I am physically unattracted to under confident, unhealthy, or unkind people. I am still a virgin at 23 because it takes a long time for trust to form before I am comfortable with physical intimacy. I believe that it is ethical to use animals for food as long as we respect the animals and give them a good, painless life. I’m a keen science nerd, and I have a fascination with the ocean and space. (Along with sea glass, cobwebs, witches, ghosts, and anything else mysterious.) I love laughter, standup comedy, and ASMR videos.

Essentially, what I’m saying is, yes a lot of the things in my life have sucked. But I still love life. I’m in love with living, just as I have accepted the idea of death, God, the afterlife, and reincarnation. I love life and death equally. I believe you can’t have one without the other.

I hope to live for a really long time and I wouldn’t give up my life for anything.