I love the bus. I grew up in a town with absolutely no public transit, and though my college city is relatively small, it has reliable buses throughout town that can take me everywhere! I've been on almost every route, am the only person I know to have seen the same drivers and passengers multiple times, and I have used the bus to see what there is to see. I love the freedom it gives me to be around people even if I'm too shy to talk to them, and I have grown much more corageous in public since my bus travels started last year!

I love crowds. I love being in them so intensely that it's the only thing I ever crave to do. You can feel alone in a crowd, or so very connected to everyone else because you're part of something bigger than yourself. You get to choose. Somehow, the chaos quiets me. I'm reminded I'm insignificant in the best way, but that people together are not. The energy is infectious. The hope and joy are palpable. Everything about crowds is so viscerally human. Concerts, protests, tourist attractions, theme parks, parties–let me be a part of it all.

One thing that I absolutely love is the sport of curling. With the Winter Olympics happening right now, it's getting more attention and respect, but so many people still think it's silly or dumb. I couldn't disagree more! Curling is a sport built entirely on community, and curlers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities. Curling clubs are such lovely, welcoming places, and are always happy to have new people! I never feel more at home than when I'm with my curling community. After games, you sit and share a meal or a drink with the team you played against, and everyone is friends, no matter how the game went. Not to mention the sport itself is amazing! It's all logic and math and physics and it makes it all so fascinating. It's such a game of strategy, so much thought is put into every moment of every game, and it's one of few sports where the playing field is constantly changing and evolving as you play. It's a great mental workout for both players and spectators, a good physical workout, and a wonderful exercise in community and camaraderie. I think curling absolutely deserves to be recognized and loved even after the Olympics are over, and I think everyone should give it a try or at least watch a game! I've never found anything like it, and I love it with all my heart.

The liver!! It's amazing and never gets the credit it deserves. It's literally named LIVER and for good reason. It can regenerate to an amazing capacity! It breaks down toxins and builds things you need to live like clotting factors and bile and bilirubin. It can make its own glucose! It has so so many different roles in your body it is my favorite organ and I think it needs to be appreciated more.

This last year I got into birdwatching in my early 30's. I always thought it was a lame thing for retirees, but it's actually awesome. It's a free (nearly free if you get a pair of binoculars) disability friendly activity that gets you outside mindfully enjoying the nature near you. You also get to contribute to community science as you log what you see on apps like Merlin/ebird (also free). Next time you're out, try to notice how many different species there actually are - there's more than just pigeons in cities and mallards in a duck pond (also look up a photo of a wood duck-you won't be disappointed).

I have a deep appreciation for public toilets. To me, they are little slices of culture. In school, people doodle all over the walls of the toilet stalls, and you can see conversations play out between people on the wall. They're often pretty horrible, but not always. One time, someone wrote "You're gay" on the wall, and four people replied affirming that yes, they are, and they're proud of it. It gives me a sense of hope. You can find humanity even in pretty nasty places.

BONEFOLDERS. I am a school librarian, and my first bonefolder has been a game changer. Need to put that crinkly plastic wrap on a book all nice and neat? BONEFOLDER. Need to make sure a label doesn’t have bubbles or wrinkles? BONEFOLDER. Making the world’s most precise paper airplane? BONEFOLDER. Need a fun word to say to confuse a colleague? BONEFOLDER.

MINECRAFT YOUTUBE!! story telling through this beautiful sandbox game!! everybody just wants to look at the drama surrounding the creators but look at what a beautiful medium they've discovered!!

I know many people (including John), don't like Canada Geese. For most people, their reaction to a goose ranges from, "I don't care for them," to "I hate those annoying a**holes."

Me? They are my favorite animal. They've been my favorite since I was 9 and saw the movie Fly Away Home. Then my family moved to a house that was directly behind a cemetery (with mostly flat headstones, not upright ones, so it looked more like a field). Our back door faced east and in the winter the sun would come up on the snow and shine through the trees and memorial flowers on all the geese sleeping. We would watch them take off and come in for landings.

Geese are silly and awkward on land but so graceful in the air. They may be jerks and hiss at you, but only when people bother them. They just want to protect their babies. They aren't afraid to speak up when people get in their space and I like that. I will always love them even if most people find them silly.

I love the Virginia Opossum. It’s the only marsupial native to North America and while it looks scary, it is so cool! They eat a wide variety of food and are just chill little critters. I got to hold one that was brought to a rehab and couldn’t be released back into the wild. She visited the school I taught at as a librarian when the whole school read the book Appleblossom the Possum. Best day ever!