The non-material victories that we have in our lives are often so under-appreciated that we forget to recognize them in the first place. After spending a week away from school in new surroundings, I was able to recognize a lot of the things about home and vacations that we forget to recognize in our daily lives. After all, spring is underway and a lot of these come from outside.

1. The smell of coffee

There's little that anyone can do to get me out of bed in the morning. Whether it's my alarm clock or a fire alarm, I can hardly seem to keep my eyes open in the morning. However the smell of coffee somehow makes it all seem worth it once you've taken those first few steps out of bed.

2. Wearing sweaters on the beach

Maybe it's something about the idea of being at the beach at night or when it's a little cooler than for your normal sunbathe, but having it be cool enough to come bundled up to the beach and thoroughly appreciate it makes that much more beautiful.

3. Diving into the water after tanning

Nothing beats it. When you're thoroughly hot from tanning, it's incredibly refreshing to dive into the pool or the ocean to cool off.

4. Going to bed after a long day

When you're incredibly exhausted there's simply nothing better than going to bed. No explanation needed.

5. Freshly printed paper

Maybe it's the freshness of whatever you're printing or the relief of having finished an assignment, it's incredibly rewarding to print out any piece of work.

6. The smell of a puppy

Puppies are cute enough as is, so the smell just adds to their perfection.

7. Hot showers

They're incredibly relaxing and you get to be clean after, too. Maybe it's just me, but I simply couldn't finish this list without including hot showers.

8. Singing in the car

As a huge fan of driving, there's little I love more than playing music as loud as I can in my car and singing to my all-time favorites.

9. Listening to breakup songs

They have the most meaningful lyrics and often the use of ~real~ instruments. Breakup songs have always been a personal favorite.

10. The color gold

Gold is so glittery and original. Plus, it essentially goes with anything.

11. Quirky smiles

There's something about them that makes whoever you're talking to that much more approachable and able to appreciate.

12. Hearing someone fluently speak another language

There's something so impressive about hearing someone fluently speak another language.

13. Warm mornings

Waking up and having to go outside into frigid weather is almost always terrible. However, something about having it be warm outside makes it that much more welcoming.

14. Spending an entire day in bed

Doing this all the time can definitely lead to some problems, but having a nice treat yo self day and spending the entire day in bed is always worth the laziness.

15. Tan lines after a day in the sun

Nothing has ever been so rewarding for such a lazy activity.

16. Surprising people

Especially if they're not afraid of surprises, then little changes of pace in life are always a little victory.

17. When babies giggle

Babies are sooooooo innocent and their little giggles and sneezes are adorable. Maybe this is just my inherent maternal instinct but I can't help it.

18. Finishing homework right before it’s due (and feeling confident in your work)

Not only did you get your work in in time, but you might even get a good grade on it. Not often do you get a win-win after procrastinating until the last minute.

19. Laughing until your stomach aches

It's almost like you did an ab workout, but instead all you did was get carried away with a funny joke.

20. The runners high you get in the middle of a long run

**Disclaimer: in no way do I identify as a runner, or even athletic, really. However, on the rare occasion that I go on a run, I always appreciate when the act of doing so doesn't become excruciating anymore.

21. Long hugs with someone you’ve missed

There's arguably no better way to show someone that they miss them.

22. Having a good “no makeup” day

Not only is it effortless to put together, but the fact that you aren't wearing makeup lends the idea that you don't need to to be confident. Yay!

23. When a stranger goes out of their way to compliment you (and vice versa)

Do onto others as you would onto yourself, and there's no better way to do so than honest compliments. Going out of your way to be nice to others is not only kind, but frankly it reflects well on you later on.

24. Trying to hold in a laugh

Being told that you can't laugh makes it all the more tempting.

25. Recognizing how #blessed you are

Nothing can take away from those rare moments when you really look around and take into account how happy you are to have everyone you do in your life.