Although the morning had been clear, the night was the complete opposite. A wild storm was raging with winds blowing ferociously. It was as if Mother Nature was getting revenge for global warming.

She had lit a candle and settled into her favorite armchair next to her bedroom window. She loved retreating to this space with her cozy blanket and candle nearby. She learned to find solace in being alone in her favorite cozy spot with a good book or an audiobook and her mobile games. It was the perfect way for her to wind down for the night. She took to this method more frequently now than journaling. She had been lacking in her journaling lately, but she had a lot going on. It was hard to find time to sit down and write. And even when she did, she frequently got distracted from journaling. Maybe it’ll come back to her.

She took a deep breath in, her nose tingling with the comforting scent of her candle, the scent titled, “Freshly baked cookies.” She pulled the curtains back slightly – a habit she liked to do while indoors so she can still feel like a part of the world by being able to see outdoor. She listened to the cars driving by on the damp road. She enjoyed hearing the sound of cars driving on rain for some reason. Maybe she enjoyed how she can determine it was raining outside by the sound of cars.

The winds blew vigorously, shaking her windows. Of all the time she lived in Southern California, she never experienced weather like this. It was “sunny California,” moody weather like this never happened. But she enjoyed it. She wondered if it would ever snow, but if it did, she probably wouldn’t enjoy that.

She had a rough day at work but she was thankful for her boyfriend for coming over and cheering her up by bringing dinner and spending time with her before leaving for work. Just cuddling with him always made him feel better. She also confided in him when he asked what happened at work, releasing all of the tension from it out into the air, releasing it from inside her. She felt better. She was grateful for him, that he was there for her when she needed it. She lucked out that one of the things he loved about her was her voice, so she didn’t feel self-conscious about talking too much. He loved listening to her voice and missed it when he was gone.

As she settled into her armchair, she felt happy and grateful despite the setbacks in her work day. She still didn’t enjoy the idea of going to work tomorrow, but it was more bearable now.