What is happiness to you?

So I've had a whirlwind week and a half. Crazy really. After an EXTREMELY long passage of time with absolutely no romantic prospects, I found myself dealing with two potential situations within ten days. The emotions that came out of these ten days were some of the best I've experienced in a really long time. An odd combination of euphoria, surprise, some major boosting of the ego, and a heightened realization of how amazing life can be.

It wasn't all good though. One guy has just gotten out of a long term relationship and the other is someone I've had more than a few problems with in the year and a half I've known him. In other words, to pursue a future with either one is going to require some major sacrifices on my part. I must admit, being on Cloud 9 with the first guy two weeks ago and then back on Cloud 9 with the second guy this past weekend, it's very difficult to come back to earth. There are few things in life as wonderful as spending time with a person you totally click with. You don't want it to end and you don't want to be anywhere but there. However, life isn't that simple and you've got to be prepared for things not working out. You need to be grounded and you need a foundation or you will be a hot mess if you ever lose that 'thing.'

So all of this got me thinking about what truly makes me happy. I was single for a long time and thus I'm totally capable of being happy without a man. Yes, life is IMMENSELY better with someone by my side and on my mind. But it can't always be that way. So what do I have? A short list popped in my head at that moment:

-driving around downtown at night listening to Kanye West
-watching HBO and eating takeout
-going to bed early & waking up early
-making an impromptu visit to my parents' house & watching a House marathon with my mom
-my acting class
-hanging out at a friend's apartment
-Terrence Howard's voice
-shopping for stupid shit like lotion and knee high socks
-watching the Cubs and Bears game with my parents

Thinking of all the things on that list really did make me indescribably happy. So that's when I decided...this is your life and your foundation and whatever comes after is just icing on the cake. Embrace all of these moments that are yours and no one else's and if you're lucky, you might just find someone who you can tell all about it.