Tumble, a woman owned business, who sells jewelry, art, and other gifts sent out a “gratitude scavenger hunt” around Thanksgiving to help you think about what you’re grateful for. I thought I’d take the time to answer the questions to start the year off on the right foot and also give you guys a little more fun facts about me! Feel free to answer some of the questions yourself in the comments!

What is the piece of clothing that makes you feel the most comfortable and free in your body? 

To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out my style and what I feel best in, but one shirt that I always feel good in is this one shoulder long sleeve from Express. It’s a great color, comfortable, and makes me feel cute and confident.

What is the song that makes you dance around the house? 

This should be an easy one to answer but I’ve been in such a music funk this year! I spent way too much time coming up with this answer. I tend to dance to more mellow songs and I was feeling kind of silly about that, but the song I’ll give you is Blades by Farr. This question is reminding me I need to listen to more music in 2021!

What is the meal you cook when you want to feel warm and cozy? 

I have made this Wild Rice Soup sooo many times this year. Pair it with some fresh sourdough and a Pinot Grigio? All the warm and cozy vibes

Name one person you can always count on to be there when you need them: 

I feel so lucky that I have so many people I know will be there for me if I need them <3. The real trick is remembering to ask.

What is the best adventure you’ve ever been on? 

I’m not the most adventurous to be completely honest – it makes me anxious and uncomfortable – lame I know 😉 I would love to travel to Europe in the next year or two though. I did get to go when I was in HS (oh my gosh, mom and dad, you’re amazing!). I went with my AP French class but I’d love to go back as an adult. Some local adventures this year have been mountain trips either hiking or cross country skiing – nothing wrong with local adventures!

When you feel most joyful what are you doing?! 

For me it’s the little things, enjoying a beverage and people watching at a coffee shop, playing a game with friends, being active outside with people I love.

When is the last time you laughed so hard, you cried? 

It’s been a tough, and somewhat boring year, so it’s honestly been a while since this has happened. I tend to be one of those people though that once I get started I’ll quickly lose it laughing so hard that I’m crying. When we were able to hang out inside with friends it would happen at least once a month during game night, but one that sticks out in my mind is when I was at a friends condo in the mountains and we were all brushing our teeth together and I couldn’t handle it, I thought it was so dang funny. Anyone else laugh when you’re brushing your teeth the same time as other people? Just me?? That’s cool…

What object in your home makes you happy?

This is a great question. I’ve always been a renter and dreamed about having my own place to decorate. Because I’ve always been a renter I’m either sharing spaces (and items) with roommates or significant others and I haven’t accumulated that much stuff because of it. I would say one object that’s mine that makes me happy though are any of my blankets. I love cuddling up to watch a show or movie in blankets.

What smell brings back a sweet memory from growing up? 

Anything with baking! My mom is a great cook and I have no idea how she always had dinner on the table for us every night, but her and my sister would bake quite a bit which was such a happy smell. We would make these ‘candy cane cookies’ during the holidays that had almond extract in them so anytime I smell almond extract (or marzipan) I immediately think of baking days during the holidays with my mom and sister.

The last time you experienced kindness from someone? 

We’ve all been struggling not seeing friends this year so we decided to quarantine and then spent NYE with some friends in Salida. They were so kind to open their house to us. We got to cook together, cross country ski, and just hang out and catch up.

What kind of art, music, film, TV have gotten you through the year? 

I used to not really enjoy watching TV, but this year I have fully given in to “Netflix and Chill.” It’s amazing (and kind of sad) how many shows I’ve made it through this year. Some shows I really enjoyed: Succession, Yellowstone, Queen’s Gambit, Bridgerton, and several documentaries. Maybe next year will be filled with more outdoor adventures.

Any life changing books you’ve read lately?

I am not much of a reader but I’ve tried to read a few more books this year. I even signed up for Book of the Month which has been fun. While I would not say any have been ‘life changing’ it’s been good to get back into reading for fun. Does anyone have any good suggestions on what to read next?

What hard thing have you experienced this year that you’ve grown and learned from? 

I moved from Boulder to Denver this year during the pandemic which turned out to be way harder than expected. I don’t have a ton of friends in Denver yet and staying in the same house day after day in a city (without easy access to hikes) has been hard. I’ve learned to give myself more grace and patience this year through all the frustrations we’ve all been dealing with.

Where do you feel most at peace? 

Anywhere I can see the stars and moon. That might be laying in a bed staring out a skylight (goals!), or sitting on a balcony staring at the night sky, or being in the mountains while camping with a full view of the vast sky. Even better if there’s a fire going.

What is your favorite quality about yourself? 

Wasn’t expecting such personal questions on this scavenger hunt! I’d say I’m a great listener.

What are some lessons learned this year?

I won’t say I’ve been able to act on most of these learnings yet (takes time, right?) but some things I’m learning this year: you must speak up if you want things to change; it’s important to focus on the good and keep working towards the life you want, don’t take your present life for granted.

What things are you no longer taking for granted? 

The general freedom to do what you want when you want – go to the store, pick up a quick item, run a fast errand, go on a hike, go to a restaurant, have dinner with friends, etc.

What are you looking forward to in the next month or two? 

We made a plan with our friends to do another quarantine and do a remote week together in Sedona. Will be great to be with friends and have things feel a little more ‘normal’ again

I hope everyone enjoyed getting to know me a little more! It was nice to reflect a little on the year and remember all the amazing things going on. I hope you can answer some of these questions yourself and don’t forget to share some of your answers in the comments below!