i wanted to have posted this much earlier… but then life happened, etc etc. last year, i kept a note of happy things as they were taking place, as a way to notice and be thankful for them. i wanted to post them here — a kind of archive of sorts. so here it goes:
- a speedy surgery and speedy recovery
- not having cancer!
- every time we’re back home for a stretch of time, after being away
- winter days with crisp blue skies
- our comfort foods at natsu
- so many pizzas
- my new treadmill
- some unexpectedly cheap alpaca mohair wool
- finishing the big algarve hike
- almond blossom season
- being able to run 10k
- matcha lattes
- riding our bikes together
- a few quiet days in comporta
- sharing books with laura
- sauna at the new gym
- affordable chinese classes
- art classes
- the novelty of a blackout
- a tuscan getaway with friends
- gelato, picci & laoganma
- farmácia de proximidade service
- running around kungsholmen
- cycling in aland, eating pancakes
- swedish cardamom buns
- new birds!
- laura saying “maínha”
- a bounty of yellow tomatoes
- mom turning 70
- strength training, getting a little stronger
- seeing paulo finish a half-marathon again
- being able to swim freestyle for many pools in a row
- saying no to stuff we don’t want to do
- doing a product from start to finish
- the university library in aveiro and its cantina
- easy game nights with friends
- seeing a very big important thing taking shape
- laura running to us with open arms
- a more efficient new AC
- celebrating the boy running 1500kms/year
- a nice christmas postcard to send to family
- laura recognizing the moomins
- seeing the parents join and enjoy the local gym (after years of our pestering)
- cheaper and unlimited mobile data
- tree planting
- celebrating 20 years postcrossing
- enjoying murderbot and attorney woo
- meeting friends we hadn’t seen in over a decade
- the nice ferry to aland
- laura saying her name “lau-ah” when poked on the belly button (a trick we taught her)
- warm july nights with events in town
- being confident handling a barbell
maybe “happy” is not the right adjective for these… it’s more of a list of milestones and small joys, with some other stuff that gave us perspective or helped us grow. there’s a lot of connection and everyday pleasures there, but also big important things. 2025 veered very sharply at the end, but i think this helps us remember it also had a lot of good in it. :)