identify 100 things that make me happy.

There’s nothing like listening to

• “The Pink Panther Theme”
  sneaking through the Old Town’s alleys
  (I can hardly keep from hissing at people)

• “The Saint Theme”
  hastening to the rescue of the World
  (jump into the lake, crawl to the nearest boat,
  board it to rescue of – Sorry, wrong movie!)

• “The James Bond Theme” (of course)
  observing people
  (Every woman with a bram/stroller might be a spy)

• “St.Agnes In The Burning Train”
  in the on a foggy winter day
  (feels like Moscow)

Run slow when I’m tired.
Run fast when I’m excited, angry or sad.

Let the body decide on the pace and the mind wander freely.
Run fast until all bad and sad thoughts have left my head.

What’s left is a free mind with room
for the remaining good thoughts
that make me come along with my life.

To run makes me happy in good times.
In bad times, I am happy to know that
a good long run will lift my sorrows
and let me see clear again.

[Yesterday evening I ran longer than ever since my accident nine years ago. Back home, I looked at the clock and didn’t believe that it had taken me only that long; because I knew how far it had been. I hardly could believe to have run that fast when I realized that my T-Shirt was completely soaked, my body was exhausted and that there were only a few things left to do. To take a shower and to crash on my bed with only one thought left in my brain, and even a happy one. The magic sadness remover worked again.]

Coming down the moving stairs to the meeting point, a friend is already waiting for me, slowly turns the head, spots me and … smiles at me.

Joining the party in the backyard and realize that my friends stop chatting, flirting, drinking, dancing for a moment to come and welcome me.

Call me silly, but I’d walk a thousand miles just to see a friend smile.

Oh boy oh boy! Was I hungry! I entred the kitchen today and realized that my stomach was urgently crying for supply. Could have devored a mamooth tree if only I was a giraffe.

Being a human being, I decided to cook some socca (in Nice, farinata in Liguria, cecina in Toscana, calentita in Gibraltar …), which takes not more than a few minutes. That’s about as far as my patience goes in such a situation.

However, the few minutes were sufficient to remind me of my first socca ever in Nice. That was a happy moment! About as happy as returning from the newly discovered ruins in Mavromati for a good Moussaka, heartily eating a pizza after having climbed a volcano, discover that dinner is ready all without my help after an exhausting day out with 20 scouts (which only happens if the chief has an awfully nice wife).

Oh, good! Now I am hungry again! Some ice cream perhaps?

(Oh, gelati under the Sicilian sun, opening a iced-lolly by bursting the wrapping…)

For me, relaxing in a hammock is one of life’s greatest delights.

I love going for a sporty hike and suspend my ultralight travel hammock between two strong trees on a lonesome place even if I am only a bit tired. The sounds of nature reach you best if you are dozing in the gentle oscillation.

At home, there is always a heavy Colombian hammock waiting for me to pass some peaceful moments in the garden. It is wonderful that one can not do too much in a hammock, just the best things in life, or at least some of them – reading books, drinking tea, listening to music, relaxing…

Hiking with a friend, with colleagues, with family or on my own. Who wants to join?

Hiking in the mountains, at the beach, through natural forests or a scary swamp, up to a glacier or down to the sea. There are many beautiful spots to discover.

Steep hikes, lazy hikes, long hikes, 1-hour-hikes, sunny, rainy and snowy hikes – they all make me happy.

I did quite some hiking this year and realized that it simply makes me happy. I like the simplicity of it. No gear needed. And I love being outdoors. I haven’t done a lot of hiking alone this year, but I have good memories of a few lonely hikes (Well, not really lonely ones. I had one of my hammocks with me on most of them). Some of those hikes were multi-day trips, testing my response to a lack of company. There have been lucky moments, e.g., when I found a dry place to sleep despite heavy rain (a tent was too heavy to carry) but also scary ones. Have you ever crossed a foggy swamp on a cold and rainy day or realized that you are sleeping on a spot where the wild pigs use to pass? There have not been just happy moments, but I wouldn’t like to miss the experiences anyhow.

Here we go. Although it might take me years to reach this goal, I want to compile a list of concrete things linked to memories of happy moments. Like sharing a bottle with somebody funny and intelligent. Which I managed to do twice in the past few weeks.