When I was younger my mum and I loved to watch old movies together. One of our favorites was The Sound of Music. If you’re not familiar, The Sound of Music is a Rodgers and Hammerstein movie musical in which a free-spirited novitiate named Maria is asked to serve as a governess for a wealthy widower with seven children, set against the backdrop of early-WWII Austria. People fall in love, the children play pranks on Maria, and a superfluity of nuns thwart the Nazis in their attempts to catch the family. There’s much more to the movie, but one of my favorite parts as a kid was the scene where there’s a big thunderstorm and all of the children run into Maria’s room. She sings a song to cheer them up called “My Favorite Things”. The song consists of a list of Maria’s favorite things: cream-colored ponies, crisp apple strudels, whiskers on kittens, and brown paper packages tied up with strings. In the chorus, Maria says when she’s feeling sad, she remembers her favorite things, and then she doesn’t feel so bad. It’s a sweet part of the movie and a catchy song (just ask Coltrane or Ariana Grande). But, as I got older I started to see the wisdom of the song. It reminds us to find small moments of joy and appreciation in life, even if it’s just stopping to enjoy the smell of fresh-cut grass. And don’t we all need to feel a little better after 2020?!

Read on for a list of the small things that have brought the GradSuccess team peace, joy, or comfort over the past year.

[Image Description: Maria Von Trapp, from The Sound of Music, sings “these are a few of my favorite things” while spinning around and holding hands with two of the Von Trapp children. They are all laughing in their pajamas.]

Pictured: Having seven roommates not required

Songling, GSMP Co-Coordinator:

This year, I have really enjoyed hiking with my friends. It’s something that I have always enjoyed but it brings me a lot more happiness this year. There are fewer opportunities to hang out with friends during the pandemic, so it's really nice to see my friends safely and get some fresh air at the same time.

[Image Description: Songling and a friend stand in front of a waterfall, facing the camera. Both are wearing sunhats and surgical facemasks.]

Pictured: A nice break from the office, also known as the kitchen table 

Jessica, GSMP Co-Coordinator:

My favorite thing this year has been taking a long walk every day after I finish working (my partner jokingly calls it my "evening commute"!) It makes my body feel better after sitting for most of the day, it gives my brain time to let go of work worries before I head into the rest of the evening, and sometimes I'm treated to wonderful animal encounters. Some notable sightings: a baby gopher snake and an American kestrel.

[Image Description: Beyoncé Knowles, in the film Homecoming, confidently struts down a lit stage, followed by dancers. She is wearing an elaborate headpiece, jewelry, and a shimmery cape.]

Pictured: Beyoncé-level confidence encouraged during your walks 

Ruihan, GradQuant Lead Consultant:

I bought an electronic keyboard this year. Now when I have a lunch break, I can play music in front of beautiful views.

[Image Description: An electric keyboard sits parallel to a full wall of windows. The interior shutters on the windows are open, revealing a view of lush trees, shrubs, and neighboring homes.]

Pictured: Music and a view makes everything better  

Kelly, Grad Writing Center Lead Consultant:

My favorite thing is getting to take yoga classes from some of my favorite yoga teachers and old friends scattered around the world. In the summer I was taking classes from friends in Amsterdam and Berlin. Recently, I've been taking classes from Jill Mockaitis (yogamusicmama.com) in Chicago. What’s NOT my favorite: this guy trying to take over my mat and nip at my ankles!

[Image Description: Max the cat is pictured crouching on Kelly’s yoga mat. He stares defiantly into the camera. In the background is a set of colorful children’s plastic blocks.]

Pictured: Cat-yoga, more of an extreme sport than goat-yoga

Christina, Graduate Writing Center Coordinator

I have two favorite things:

I used to treat myself to one fancy coffee each week. It was a kind of “good job, you got through the week now go have a latte!” ritual. When we started work from home, that wasn’t an option. So, instead, I learned how to make some of my favorite fancy café drinks at home. I can now make a mean lavender latte, vanilla latte, chai latte, and spiced hot chocolate. I feel very accomplished and a bit like some of the things I enjoyed—grabbing a coffee or hot drink with friends—can still happen now, just over Zoom and in my living room!

I also started watching The Great British Bake Off. They make awesome baked goods that I could never create myself (see the Banana Bread Incident of 2014). I enjoy watching kind people who are good at their craft push themselves to make bigger, better things. This last season was filmed this summer, during the COVID pandemic, so it’s also nice to see folks still being so supportive of one another while everything is so in flux (the contestants, judges, and production staff formed a bubble for filming).

[Image Description: Nadiya Hussain, a contestant on The Great British Bake Off, uses a rolling pin to beat cold butter into shape for her puff pastry. She grimaces, clearly working hard to form the cold butter.]

Pictured: Baking, a good stress reliever for both viewers and bakers alike

Kyla, UTC Coordinator:

Since it's cooled down, we have been taking our 12-year-old dachshund, Tito, for walks in the park. It gets me out of the house and brings me great joy to see him frolic in the grass!

[Image Description: Kyla sits with her legs out in front of her on the grass. She holds Tito, a brown and black dachshund on her lap. She is smiling and looking down at him.]

Pictured: The face of one who frolics 

Sarah, TADP Coordinator:

I’ve really been enjoying my daily phone calls with my mum, who lives in Canada. Sometimes we only talk for a few minutes, but we always find something to laugh about! Since I left home, we have never talked as much or as often as we have this year, which has been a silver lining in all of this uncertainty.

[Image Description: Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler, from Saturday Night Live, dance in a comedic sketch about “mom jeans”. All are wearing high-waisted, tapered acid wash jeans with pastel-colored polo shirts or button-up shirts.]

Pictured: Moms, the real MVP

Kristoffer, GSRC Lead Consultant:

Beyond baking and hiking, I have been exploring watch-along podcasts. There are a number of podcasts dedicated to film series that I have been enjoying this year. Some them do running commentary of the film as they watch it, while others discuss a film per week. My favorite podcasts have been: James Bonding (covering the James Bond series), Unspooled (the American Film Institute (AFI) 100 list), and With Gourley and Rust (horror movie franchises). They've been a great way for me to expand the types of films I watch while also keeping me company during walks and daily chores. James Bonding also helped me get closer to my flat-mate; we make pizza and watch a Bond film every Friday.

[Image Description: Daniel Craig, playing James Bond, is shown wearing a dark suit, shot from slightly below. He looks just off-camera and delivers the iconic line: “The name’s Bond.”]

Pictured: Your mission is to eat pizza and bond with friends 

Yelda, GSRC Coordinator:

This year, I continued to attend the Physical Sciences Book Club , organized by Cellar Door Bookstore. Cellar Door is a small, independent bookstore in Riverside, and it offers book clubs on various topics, such as physical sciences, current affairs, history, science fiction, feminism, and LGBTQ literature. We used to meet monthly at the bookstore, but all book clubs moved to Zoom when the pandemic started. Reading has been my refuge during the pandemic, and these book clubs kept me connected to the community even though we couldn't meet in person.

[Image Description: RuPaul introduces the reading mini-challenge to the RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants. He declares: “The library is open, okay?”]

Pictured: Correction: the library is open virtually

GradSuccess is closed for the winter break, but we look forward to seeing you again, beginning on January 4th. We hope you have a safe and restful break!