01/12/2014 - Books

It's not like I'm a bookworm.

However I like to pretend.

There are times when I don't even touch a book for months.

And than there are times when I can't be stopped.

Most of my books I find at a local bookstore in Kreuzberg 

(a neighborhood in Berlin were I used to live for 2 years).

It is a second-hand bookstore 

and they donate part of their earnings to a nonprofit organization in the neighborhood.

And so I buy books.

And I keep buying.

I buy more books than I read.

There are probably about 10 books in my shelf I haven't touched yet.

I just like to own them - knowing that I will read them someday

On top of my list are classics:

everything Jane Austen wrote or Charles Dickens,

To Kill a Mockingbird, The Cider House Rules

and of course Harry Potter.

One day I wish to have a library - and to have read most of the books it contains.

PS: Pictured are my parents bookshelves. They already own a library :)

10/10/2013 - LUCKY List No. 1

So this entry contains my very first published LUCKY list 

But first I might also share me and my current state of life in a nutshell.

I'm 26.

I live in Berlin.
Yet I am not "ein Berliner".

I grew up in a small town near the Baltic Sea that is a 45 minute drive from Hamburg.

I'm a student of Sociology.
I'm about to write my Master Thesis.

My family is the most important thing in my life.

I don't like sports. Nevertheless I pay for a fitness studio every month.

I love the sea.

Actually I love nature in general.

I prefer chatting while sipping wine or gin tonics over clubbing.

I love to cook and even more I love to eat.

I can not imagine myself living in a big city for my whole life.

I want to own a house someday.

I really wanna go travel again after I finish my Master next spring.

I'm just starting to save money to accomplish this aim.

Envying other peoples lifes or strenghts is something I'm constantly working on - 

therefore this space also is a place to learn to value my own life more.

Sometimes I really do need to get things into perspective.

Most of the times I should be more relaxed and easy-going.

However there are times where I should care more.

*****

ANYWAY... this list, 

my very first list, will contain several things that I noticed during the last couple of days...

I'm home to visit my parents for a few days before I have to plunge into work next week.

1. Spending time with my family in general.

I do not see my parents or sister regularly.

And spending time with them is something I should never underestimate or take for granted.

Yesterday I spend a whole day with my Mum...

The next few itmes on my list are things that made that day so special:

*

2. Sweets and Coffee.

Yesterday I spend a whole day with my Mum.

We had coffee and brownies (with marshmallows and salted peanuts) - heaven!!!

We looked at displayed cuisine magazines and interior design magazines.

We chatted and went shopping.

*

3. Pasta with Scampis and Garlic
We had lunch that contained scampis and garlic... a lot of both.

Two things that make me swoooon.

There is no such thing as too much garlic.

Never ever ever.

*

4. Calm movie nights with a cup of tea on the sofa

Last night we had a chilled movie night (we saw Page Eight which was pretty good!)

and a few bitters in between (because my stomach wouldn't stop to revolt against my prior eating habits)  

*

5. Abendbrot

Something I barely eat when I'm not at my parents.

This awaited me when I came home on Tuesday night.

Just a great childhood memory.

*

6. Autumn. 

The coloured leaves in my parents garden.

The cold weather. The rain. The early darkness.

Just love it.

*

7. Train rides.

The ride from Berlin to my parents took about 3,5 hours.

As long as it is still light out I do nothing but stare out of the window.

So that is what I did 2,5 hours on Tuesday evening.

Watching sceneries pass by is one of my favourite things.

And it is even better with good music.

10/10/2013 - An Introduction

A couple of weeks ago I started a journal.

Not a diary kind of journal 

just a little purple notebook that sports a funny drawing on the cover.

When I bought it,

I wanted it to become a space where I write down all the things, 

moments and experiences that made me smile 

and think "Well yes, I'm pretty lucky"

(or to be precise "Jepp, was für ein Glück ich doch hab'").

Just everything to remind how wonderful life can be - most of the time.

Because it really is wonderful most of the time. 

I want to listen up more

and to live life with open eyes and an open mind.

And I want to be more thankful.

Because I am pretty lucky.

Although I sometimes fail in emphasizing my luckiness.

I created this blog to not just remember the lucky moments 

which I also record in my purple journal

but to share them with others.

Admittedly those  might be small and insignificant for others

but I know everybody has these tiny situations

and if it's only a beautiful sunrise 

or the perfect cup of coffee 

or a moment when you drive in your car all by yourself

and in that very moment - and most of the time it really is just a second - 
you feel lucky.

I believe this really is what life and happiness is all about.

Short moments one has to appreciate.

But to appreciate you have to notice first.

So that is what I wanna do here.

Writing down all the things that radiate luckiness in my life.

This is my lucky list. 

Day by day.