What have you always loved?

The recent events surrounding our cross country move have had me reflecting lately on an interesting topic: what are some of the things (not people, that’s an entirely different subject unto itself) that I've loved throughout all of my life?

You may wonder how moving ties into this topic, so I'll happily dish the details. Two things in particular have brought this thought to the forefront of my mind. For starters, in the weeks immediately before we hopped from Ontario to B.C., I made the decision to sell off most of two collections of items (Japanese Re-Ment brand miniatures and Pullip dolls, respectively) that I'd been amassing for nearly five years.

The key reasons why I decided to do so were to a.) raise additional funds for the move and the expansion of my wardrobe (which, as you may recall, was/is one of my goals for 2012), and b.) because it meant that there would be a little less to pack with us (an important point when you dealing with movers who charge you both on distance traveled and the weight of your belongings).

These two collections - one (Re-Ment miniatures) much larger than the other - were no less important to, or beloved by, me than ever. Rather, I believed (correctly, I'm glad to report) that the money I knew I could get for selling them could be put to better use right here and now at this stage in my life. I'll always adore Japanese toys and dolls, but my interests at the moment aren't focused on those areas of collecting, so it didn’t make a world of sense to hold onto these items any longer.

The second reason that I've been reflecting on the subject of lifelong loves is because the town that Tony and I moved to, just happens to be one of the two in which I spent a solid chunk of my youth. For several years of my childhood and teenage years, the charming city of Penticton (located a few hours north east of Vancouver, in the gloriously sun-kissed Okanagan Valley) was my home.

From classrooms to skating rinks, quaint back allies to the bustle of main street, through some of the best and worst moments of my formative years, I lived, breathed, and walked amongst the buildings and landscapes of a town that now, for the first time, my husband and I get to experience together.

With so many thoughts pertaining to, and a solid knowledge of, the area, I've naturally been taking a long distance run down memory lane as of late. Starting many a conversation and observation with phrases like "Oh, I remember", "We used to", "Back when I was growing up", and other similar sentiments.

These sprints through the halls of time cannot help but make me take stock of what elements in my life I've loved, cherished, and held a vested interest in since I was a little girl (we moved to Penticton about a month before my 9th birthday).


{Life is abundantly peppered with all kinds of loves. Some are short lived, whereas others stick with us throughout all of our days and never fail to garner revisiting time and time again. Charmingly pretty vintage postcard image via Jerub Baal on Flickr.}


It's entirely normal like or love tons of things throughout your lifetime that only end being a part of your world for a while. From passing fashion trends to TV shows, childhood hobbies to food crazes, there's something downright wonderful about getting to experience new likes that eventually make way for others. Yet few amongst us are without a solid list of things that we've loved since we were little kids.

As someone whose tastes have always veered on the eclectic, varied, and abundant (as in I have scads of interests) side of things, I'd imagine that a complete list - if such a thing were possible - of things I've always adored would run well into the hundreds – or more!

It's easy to pick out some however, and I plan on doing just that in a future post. Today though, what I'm curious about, sweet friends, are some of things - they can be anything from a brand of soap to a breed of cats, vintage shoes to a sports team - that, for just about as far back in the pages of your own life's history, you can remember loving and which you still have a passion for today?

I believe that such ongoing interests shape and help define who we are. They can lead to careers, possibly contribute to how we meet our significant others, take us to foreign lands, bring us both joy and sorrow, and are amongst the topics we turn to first when carrying on a conversation. They've been with us so long as it's as though they've become an invisible part of our DNA. Always there, constantly important, and perpetually meaningful.

What have you always loved? Let me know in the comments below and next Friday (one week from now), I'll randomly select one person who leaves a comment as the winner of a little surprise gift pack of assorted items (think items pertaining to crafting, vintage fashion, etc) that tie into some of the things I've adored throughout the course of my own life.