“Hi I’m Ana, A-N-A Ana!”
That, according to my mom, was how at 3 years old I
introduced myself to my preschool teachers for the very first time. In the 17
or so years since, parents and I will often joke about that before any First
Day of mine. First Day of First Grade, First Day of School in Canada, First Day of High
School, First Day of First Year University, First Day at [Insert New Job Here],
and most recently, First Day of Exchange in Hong Kong. Though I no longer actually
use those exact words when introducing myself to new people, I’ve come to
realize that First Days have often proven easier for me than others – mostly
because I’m not afraid to just pick a person and start a conversation.
I’ve always had my dad’s outgoing nature, but in all honesty
it wasn’t until I started doing martial arts at around 8 years old that I found
the confidence to actually do anything with it. By then I was old enough to
have outgrown a young child’s careless abandon, but was still young enough that
the full-blown teenage girl insecurities hadn’t yet been able to set in. Over
the years my instructors, friends, family members, role models, and even
students in each martial arts school I’ve been a part of have cemented in me
the value of constantly challenging myself while maintaining a strong sense of
self-confidence. I think that confidence first came through my physical
abilities, which then spread into being able to introduce myself to adult
strangers like waitresses at restaurants, or clerks behind desks. From there,
I’m pretty sure it has just snowballed.
Confidence wasn’t the only thing martial arts instilled in
me. It was probably my first instructor, Mr. Williams, who first introduced to
me the concept of being a “Good-Finder”. Even as a kid I understood that the
term ‘good-finder’ was just another word for ‘optimist’, but I have always loved
the implications behind that particular word choice. A person who doesn’t feel
entitled to happiness all the time, and instead actively tries to ‘find good’
in situations is the type of person I greatly admire, and a person I really do
try to be.
Over the years, that optimism and outgoing nature have
helped me come to realize that I’m not just extroverted; I’m extremely
extroverted. Being around people invigorates me, and I could never tire of it.
Sometimes when people ask me why I’m so outgoing I’ll respond with something
along the lines of “Because I find other people so much more interesting than
me!” but it’s often only half a joke. I love it when people feel comfortable
sharing parts of themselves with me, even if it’s just a few minutes of their
day for some small talk and to quickly catch up. If I’m cooped up and alone
somewhere for too long I can actually feel my mood take a downturn my motivation
levels drop. In the least creepy way possible, I really do feed off of others,
especially people I don’t (yet) know very well, which is why coming on exchange
has been one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. Everything is new,
and there are so many new people to interact with completely different
backgrounds that I’m falling in love with it here more and more every day. I
refuse to let myself forget what I now think will be unforgettable, which is
why we’re here, on my blog. Since my First Day in Hong Kong, I’ve been trying
to make it a point to write down and preserve memories that I can already look
forward to looking back on.
But still, why “Little Things, Happy Things”? Good question,
dear reader. One more story before I go. After my grandmother died when I was
6, my whole family was having a pretty rough time but I remember my Tita Trish
showing me a ‘Thank You Journal’ that she had been keeping. The basic premise
of it was that instead of writing down everything you had done, you instead
made a list of things you were thankful for from that day. It was her way of
remembering to not only stay positive during trying times, but to be aware of
and grateful for anything that makes you happy, even if they’re little things.
I started my own Thank You Journal then, and although I didn’t really keep it
up, that mindset really stuck with me. I know that big events and super
exciting things will be very hard to forget, but I tend to make it a point to
also try and remember the seemingly unimportant moments that bring me joy too.
Thus, Little Things, Happy Things became part of my daily mindset.
Before I came to Hong Kong, I knew I wanted to find a way to
record my adventures and still be able to share them with whoever was
interested. Then, before starting this blog I knew I wanted to have some recurring
aspect to connect each post, and the idea of incorporating my Little Things,
Happy Things instantly came to mind. So here I am, keeping track of the huge
highlights of my studies, travels, and everything in between while still making
it a point to be grateful for the Little Things, Happy Things that are also
making my life right now awesome.
I have a bunch of posts that would take some time to read
through entirely, but here are some that I’d pick out as most noteworthy:
- A List of Little Things, Happy Things
Today's Little Thing, Happy Thing: Being exactly 12 hours ahead of my home timezone. I have a lot of fellow exchange students here whose family and friends back home are in a timezone that makes for weirdly timed calls home, but because Toronto is exactly 12 hours behind Hong Kong I never have to worry about potentially waking up my family or disrupting their own daily schedules. That also means that when I'm up entirely too late at night, there are always friends back at home that I can chat with if need be :)
Today's Little Thing, Happy Thing: Being exactly 12 hours ahead of my home timezone. I have a lot of fellow exchange students here whose family and friends back home are in a timezone that makes for weirdly timed calls home, but because Toronto is exactly 12 hours behind Hong Kong I never have to worry about potentially waking up my family or disrupting their own daily schedules. That also means that when I'm up entirely too late at night, there are always friends back at home that I can chat with if need be :)
