My family has a unique habit: whenever we experience something that brings joy, no matter how small, we raise our arms in the air, point a finger to the sky, and shout, “Delight!” When I first adopted this practice, it felt awkward, as if I were inviting ridicule from my friends. But after a week, I was unexpectedly happier. At family dinners, we would share what stood out to us — anything from a perfectly toasted bagel to an unusually vivid sunset. Gradually, these moments accumulated, creating bright spots and teaching me to seek happiness wherever it waited to be noticed. Soon, my friends moved from teasing to participating, and our hangouts became punctuated with spontaneous shouts of “Delight!”
Over time, I began to understand the power of this habit. If we can spot delight, even in overwhelming situations, we can change how we experience the world.
And then I moved to college — the biggest transition of my life so far. Overwhelming might be an understatement. The practice of delight has helped me stay grounded while keeping my family close across the miles. At least once a day, I’ll interrupt our family group chat with a new study nook I’ve found or the day’s Val menu. So far, my Amherst experience has been full of delight — and I’m excited to share some of it with you. Here are three (of many) delights from my week:
Practice Rooms – Arms Music Hall
The thing I’ve missed most about home while being in college is singing at the top of my lungs in the shower. Fortunately for my floormates, I’ve held off on that habit in the communal bathrooms. But as finals season approaches, sometimes I need somewhere to belt my heart out and blow off steam. The Arms Practice Rooms offer a (mostly) soundproof place for me to do that!
Etymology Nerd lecture – Smith College
Something I didn’t fully appreciate or understand when I applied to Amherst was the role of the consortium. Since getting here, I’ve been encouraged to take advantage of as much as possible. In an effort to do that, I took a 45-minute bus to Northampton to see a very special guest speaker recently. I’ve followed Etymology Nerd (Adam Aleksic) for a while now, and when I heard he was speaking at Smith, I had to be there. It was a wonderful opportunity to get off campus, learn something new, and meet students from across all five colleges.
The leaves! And my window
For my final delight of the week, I just want to appreciate how gorgeous the fall colors are before they disappear completely. I’d heard about how wonderful New England Falls are, but I didn’t expect how all-encompassing it is. I’ve loved waking up every day for the last month and appreciating how the leaves are always just a bit different than they were the day before, like a time-lapse of autumn out my dorm window.
Anyway, that’s all for this week, see you next time!