With all the Xmas wish lists going around on Xanga, I thought I would start my own list of things that make me happy in winter.

So, here I go! I’m bursting with winter bliss this year because …

#1. The endless cups of hot chocolate, the occasional Amazake (sweet sake) and the yummilicious Ladurée macarons I can indulge in without feeling guilty.


 


#2. The Japanese hot pots I get to enjoy at the end of a long freezing cold day.

#3. The winter boots I can slip into.

#4. The pops of latest holiday and fall colors I can “paint” my days with.

#5. The Chloé leather gloves, from my 2 buddies who are now far away in Hong Kong, that keep my fingers safe from frostbites.

#6. The pretty Xmas lighting near home and almost everywhere I go.

#7. The ski trips on beautiful snow-covered landscapes I can make.

#8. The Japanese hot springs I can soak my stress, fatigue and anxieties away in.

What about you? What makes you happy amidst the dreary wintry cold and perpetual gloomy grey skies?