#49 Things I Love About Life

Today, I turn 49.

49 years on this planet, and honestly, it feels like an achievement in itself.
So, to celebrate, here’s a list of the things that I love.

49 Things I Love About Life (in no particular order)

1. The beautiful sky just before sunrise.

2. The scent of freshly cut grass.

3. Reading in bed.

4. The cute faces of stray dogs when I pet them.

5. Comfy dresses with pockets.

6. Hanging out with my few but VIP friends.

7. Wine, pizza, and watching movies in pyjamas.

8. The anticipation of a trip that is happening in a few days.

9. El Niño margarita at Chili’s.

10. Listening to music in bed.

11. Sharing a birthday with my friend Carolina, my ex-colleague in Melbourne, Australia.

12. Having a special Dragon connection with my first niece, Juhi.

13. And a unique aunty-niece relationship with my second niece, Jiya.

14. The fact that I consider Melbourne my second home.

15. One of my biggest achievements – solo trip to Spain in 2011 for one month.

16. Home-made toasties.

17. Hot and fresh apambalik from the streets of KL.

18. Participating in many runs in KL, and a special 10K one in Melbourne.

19. Watching Upin & Ipin as I have my breakfast most mornings.

20. Listening to music on my headphones as I write.

21. The feeling of enjoying a hot fudge sundae while writing.

22. Good conversations with unexpected encounters of the male kind.

23. Random video calls from my cousins.

24. Having my own space after years.

25. Traveling on public transport, especially trains in KL, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, London, New York, Washington, etc.

26. The fact that, many years ago, I was a Lifestyle Journalist.

27. Attending the Rainforest World Music Festival in 2010 and having loads of fun.

28. Picnics on the beaches of Port Dickson with my family as a kid.

29. 49, and I still love wearing t-shirts.

30. Beach holidays.

31. Amazing sunsets.

32. Clothes shopping in Australia.

33. Beautiful views of our world through the windows of the plane.

34. When my fingers feel the burn of the spicy sambal in a 5-star Nasi Ayam Penyet meal.

35. Flying to Australia just to see my favourite musician, John Mayer, play live.

36. George Town, Penang, and how I always have a good time there, no matter how many times I’ve been.

37. Putting up the Christmas tree every December, despite not officially celebrating Christmas.

38. Old Hindi songs that come on the radio – they remind me of my late father.

39. Cute dog videos on Instagram.

40. Early morning walks at a nearby park with amazing views.

41. Sleeping on fresh, clean bed sheets.

42. The existence of Sticky Date Pudding in my life.

43. A good plate of Nasi Lemak, with extra spicy sambal.

44. A clean, sparkly home space after all the effort I put into cleaning.

45. Three-quarter pants.

46. Unexpected, random people who change life for the better.

47. Moments when the Universe shows me synchronicity in life.

48. The presence of God in my life.

49. Coffee, lots of coffee.