The Shortest Bus Ride

Picture from Wikimedia Commons

In the slew of cold, cloudy days, there was finally a day of warm weather and clear skies. My roommate and I decided to take advantage of the fabulous weather last Tuesday and decided to go on an adventure to Petco (just to see some cute animals, not to buy anything). I discovered there was a Trader Joe's not to far from the Petco, so we not only made it a Petco adventure, but also a grocery shopping adventure. My roommate and I most definitely went overboard on the groceries, both of us carrying two heavy paper bags filled with food items. It was difficult enough hauling our hoard of food out of the store, but it was even more so carrying our bags back to the bus stop! When we arrived at our stop, down the hill at the end of the road, we saw our bus was parked sitting next to a Sheetz. It had not started its route yet. So, we figured we could board early just so we can sit down and let our tired arms rest. However, when arriving at the bus, we found it was missing a driver... He was eating at the Sheetz. Disappointed and even more tired than before, we began to trod our way back up the hill to the bus stop.

Then, like a glorious mechanical angel, another bus stopped by and opened its doors. It's driver called our to us, "I can give you two a lift!" Being oblivious to what he was suggesting, I told him that we needed to go back to campus and our bus is down there. He laughed and told us he was watching us struggle with our bags and knew our bus wasn't going to start its route for another fifteen minutes, then he offered us to drop us off at the bus stop so we could wait there. We joyfully hoped on and relished our free bus ride up the hill. The stop probably wasn't even a block's distance away, but we really appreciated that bus driver for saving us some struggle and for being so gosh darn nice! We got home just fine that day, and to this day I still think that driver is one of the nicest men I've ever met.

It's little acts of kindness like this that I think makes life so good. Just like how one bad thing can ruin your day, something really small but good can make someone's day just that much better, and I think it's great. I honestly believe if more people did nice things for other, we wouldn't be nearly as depressed, angry, or anxious. Going out of our way to do something for others doesn't unnoticed. That person will appreciate it, and both parties feel good about it. Positive feelings don't only go a long way, but it travels, too. Making someone else feel good makes them want to make someone else feel good, and so on, and so on. Even if we don't do anything grand or spectacular, or gain mass fame and recognition, those little things we do for others makes us feel more fulfilled. It's the reason why I made this blog in the first place - to appreciate those little things and to let others know they can experience similar feelings too, wherever they are.

Love is for Everyone

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! As much as I'd like to join everyone in the celebration of love and affection, unfortunately I am committed to a long-distance relationship, so giving my boyfriend roses and chocolates isn't really a feasible thing for me. There is a lot of flak towards long-distance relationships that I find pretty unsettling. I know they don't work all the time and it's very hard and demanding on the persons involved, but a lot of dedication and trust goes into long-distance, which is why I think they deserve a bit more credit than they get.

Personal tangent aside, I want to talk about what Valentines day means to me personally. I think it's a bit silly we have a day dedicated to loving others... when that should just be a thing you do every day. Sure, it's a good excuse to do something special, but that's what birthdays and anniversaries are for! Plus, it's not like we get this holiday off, so having valentines day on a weekday sure does suck for the busy working couple (though I suppose it'd be the responsibility of the couple to plan things ahead of time, but not everyone plans things ahead). Plus, the chocolate and flower-making industry loves to cash in on this day and shove romantic tid-bits down your throat for double or triple the normal price (or for "sale"). I think, if you really wanted to do something special for someone you care about, skip the flowers and cheap chocolate and go for something that means a lot to that person (but if your boo really likes flowers and chocolate then by all means give them flowers and chocolate - just make sure it's quality chocolate).

Chocolates and Roses

Though lovers tend to get the spotlight on Valentine's Day, I want to emphasize that this is a day for everyone to get love. For all you single people out there, tell a family member or friend you care about them. That'll make their day, I'm sure of it. If you got a pet, treat them today! If you have a room mate, throw 'em some love! Valentine's Day should not be limited to lovers and couples. It should be a day to express love and affection for anyone and anything, even yourself. There's been a rising trend of "table for one" or "me dates", for the single people going out by themselves. It's awkward sitting and eating alone when everyone else has friends or a significant other with them. However, I think the more we encourage loners it's ok to do things by yourself - without the social pressure of being around people all the time - we'll become more comfortable with being alone with our thoughts, and appreciating ourselves. 

Even though I won't get to spend this Valentine's Day with my boyfriend, I'll still have the memories I have being with him, how it felt to hold hands with him, to hug and snuggle and laugh with him. I want everyone to remember what it feels like to be love. I want you to treasure it. Whether it's getting your first kiss from your boyfriend or girlfriend, getting that big warm hug from your mom or dad, or playing with your dog or cat after a long day. Everyone has love, and that is a beautiful thing. 

Care for a Spot of Tea?

                                                           Photo from Max Pixel

While my boyfriend is down south enjoying 70 degree weather, I'm bundled up here with all this snow, ice, and slush, enjoying a nice mug of hot tea. I think in a coffee-stained world, there should be a little bit more appreciation for tea. I find it pretty funny how flexible tea is - how you can just make it from anything that grows. "Mm-mmh~! I love me some Wheatgrass Tea, yum yum!" ...wheatgrass. Not a fan? How about some chocolate tea? Fermented tea?? Yeah that's right. You like drinking Kombucha? It's fermented. Good stuff for your gut! People have made teas from basically everything, and surprisingly, we've found a lot of health benefits from doing so.

(Dead bacteria create a layer over-top the Kombucha from fermentation)

I usually make myself some unsweetened day-time tea (usually a fruity tea like peach), and a cup of night-time tea when I get back to my dorm (either milky chai or something floral or minty). The flavor of tea I brew also sometimes depends on what mood I'm in, or whatever mood I'd like to be in. If I'm in a quiet and working mood, I'll make myself a cup of chamomile. If I've been waddling around all day going from class to class, I'll make myself something exotic like pomegranate or blueberry with a spoonful of honey (I love me some honey). And, as mentioned previously, if there are some health benefits I need, I'll make myself the appropriate tea for it. Here are a few of my favorites:

Lavender - rather expensive, but great for relaxation. It calms the nerves and muscles and is often used for sleeping. I like to make a batch lavender tea during the summer and make it into refreshing lavender lemonade. When brewed, it gets a cool purply color, and it smells amazing. (some other calming/relaxing teas: Chamomile, Green, and Mint)

Raspberry - this one should be a woman's favorite. Famous for relieving menstrual cramps, and popular among pregnant mothers for all the vitamins and minerals this tea has. It's overall a good "blood" tea. If you have problems with your blood, this one's the way to go (this goes for you too, men)!

Lemongrass - No, lemon tea is not the same as lemonade. Yes they both taste delicious. Lemon tea is a great way to get your Vitamin C, as well as being a great all-round beverage for your day-to-day activities. 

Chai - This one's a spicy tea! It's a black tea base mixed with all sorts of spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, star anise, and more! It's a pretty exciting tea, and it's often mixed with milk to make chai lattes. As it is a tea made from black tea, it also contains caffeine. It actually has about the same amount that coffee does!

So if you're out and about wanting to go on a beverage adventure, grab yourself some tea! Upgrade that water! Leaf up your day! Drink something exciting! And please drink responsibly.

Photo by Ian Lloyd