I love

When I saw Anno's list, I was moved and inspired. Here is my (heavily edited) list of the things I love.

I love waking up to a new day. The smell of coffee. Snow covered mountains outside my window. Good morning kisses. My husband's whistling and my boy's messed up hair.
I love rainy days. Watching raindrops dance through breath-fogged windows. Drinking a hot cup of coffee. Wearing my favorite sweater. Listening to the water find its way down the roof.
I love a good party. Salsa dancing with my friends. Singing loud enough to wake up the neighbors. Listening to Cumbia drums beating in sync with my heart.
I love talking to my friends. Laughing out loud. Sharing a good meal. Crying together.
I love a trip, near or far. Airports, suitcases, and maps. Leaving what I know to find something new, if even for a day. Being a foreigner, having an accent.
I love languages. Rolling Rs, guttural Hs, sliding Ss. The origin of words and their meaning.
I love the smell of the places I know and love. Bogota, mountains and smog. Popayan, wood and rain. California, sun and smoke. Italy, coffee and wine.
I love Museums and churches. Great silent spaces. Art filled walls.
I love running with my dog, breathing harder with each step, and getting to the end. Morning light, fresh air, and purple flowers on green fields.
I love beautiful things, color, texture, and the imperfections of a handmade object. Eames chairs. Bicycles. Gaudi's architecture . A cinquecento.
I love solitude, silence, and the night sky.
I love getting letters, e-mails, and surprise phone calls. Friends, old and new. People, life's characters, imperfect beings.
I love creativity. Everyday makers, The barista, the baker, and the florist. Artists, writers, and teachers.
I love hugs and holding hands. Sharing a glass of good wine with my husband, talking and listening. Waiting for the night.
I love my mother's voice and our conversations about nothing and everything. I love the town where she lives and where I grew up, white houses, old street lamps, roofs extending over sidewalks, green windows and church bells.
I love jumping in the water in the ocean because it is frightening and beautiful. Watching a campfire, feeling its heat close to my skin, and carrying its smell in my clothes.
I love writing, drawing, painting, starting something new. Cooking with my boy, talking while flavors mix. Reading a good book, finishing it, thinking about it for days afterwards.
I love to be surprised by the things I do not know. A word, a recipe, a story. Learning, living, and making mistakes.
I love looking at my reflection in the mirror and recognizing the woman that looks back at me.