100 reasons not to be discouraged

I am an optimist. I don't believe in being negative about things for any length of time. School has been giving me a lot of reasons to be pessimistic lately (for example, a few minutes ago, I got back my second paper in a week that I did miserably on, which is a blow for me because papers are what I always count on being good at. My TA literally didn't say a single nice thing. It was like "Yourpapersucksyourpapersucksyourpapersucks, BEST WISHES!") but I am doing my best to combat this desire to wallow in negative feelings.

Also, THIS IS MY 100th BLOG POST! YIPPEE!!

So, in order to cheer myself up, I thought I would make a quick list (in no particular order of importance) of 100 things that are awesome. Because life is awesome even though my grades are not.

1) purple
2) those hills that my grandmother would call "belly-bumps" that you speed up & drive over & then feel kind of weightless
3) kittens! puppies! babies!
4) spending the afternoon collaging
5) sleeping in
6) Arches pies
7) friendship bracelets
8) re-reading Whitman
9) new journals
10) old journals
11) Nicaragua
12) blogging
13) the sound the coffee pot makes. and the coffee the coffee pot makes.
14) sweatpants
15) people running with bookbags
16) JESUS!
17) this playlist I just made & like to listen to in the shower that is all really bad pop songs
18) gchatting
19) road trips
20) going on hikes
21) snuggling
22) snuggies
23) Warrenton
24) mom & dad & brother
25) learning to play new instruments
26) sitting on the front porch
27) not ever having to take a science class ever again
28) looking through old pictures
29) calling Anna Straight
30) going on walks
31) remembering your dreams
32) the English language
33) the sound of it raining outside
34) ghost stories
35) roller coasters
36) that time of day that is pre-dusk when the sun is really heavy
37) going to Maura's farm house
38) those free tortilla chips you get at Mexican restaurants
39) finding something important you thought you lost
40) laughing at yourself
41) eating rainbow chip icing & leftover chipotle for lunch
42) jumping on a trampoline
43) those milkshakes you can get at Sheetz
44) old houses
45) writing letters
46) how it feels nice when strangers smile at you
47) funny-face pictures
48) the sound of the crowd singing at concerts
49) thick wool socks
50) sliding around on hardwood floors in thick wool socks
51) hanging out by a bonfire
52) burning marshmallows
53) finding chapstick when you need it
54) running to answer the door when your parents get home from work
55) surprise parties
56) swimming outside
57) when you come home and your housemate has cooked you dinner
58) when people write you encouraging notes
59) loving
60) racquetball
61) Youtube
62) wearing bright colors
63) breakfast for dinner
64) going to museums for free in DC
65) Greene County!
66) free refills at Wendys
67) cardigans
68) cheesy romance movies
69) getting a little sunburn
70) getting an ab workout from laughing too hard
71) discovering how cool the study center is
72) Mom's delicious mac&cheese
73) when you are somewhere really dark and look up and suddenly realize that you can see the stars
74) when you make a grilled cheese just right
75) abbrevs
76) telling a good story
77) things that are scary but don't end up actually being scary
78) this dorky journalism t-shirt I have that says "Oh, Crop!"
79) joyful kids
80) when your middle school locker combo randomly pops into mind
81) how it feels strange but cool after you get a haircut
82) when you go into a house that has a good house-smell
83) living out of suitcases instead of unpacking
84) laughing at how bad your student ID/drivers licence picture is
85) when you are walking with your iPod in and a sweet song comes on and then you pretend that you are in the middle of a real-life music video
86) Ronald Weasley
87) covering a wall with sticky-notes of good poetry
88) Thanksgiving leftovers
89) bubblegum
90) people who are passionate
91) defending good literature
92) hugs that last a long time
93) driving with the sunroof open
94) beating Taylor on Mario Kart
95) how good your own bed feels after you've been away
96) walking on grass with bare feet
97) pinatas
98) having a signature dance move
99) that vanilla-mint toothpaste, even though everyone but me hates it
100) YOU!