Welcome! “Where Bloggers Live” started out kind of like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…with bloggers! We all like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes, interests, and lives, so every month this wonderful group of six bloggers family of amazing women shares their work-spaces, homes, towns, and thoughts, with posts based on specific prompts. It’s been so interesting over the years to see the different ways each of us interpret the topics.

This month’s Where Bloggers Live prompt stumped me more than I expected: “Top Ten Things I Couldn’t Live Without.” Because taken literally, the list is short and boring: air, water, food, shelter (check, check, check, and check). But the spirit of the prompt feels more like what are the things that make life richer, gentler, easier, and more worth living? And that I can answer.

So here’s my list:

1. My Daughter

I tried to get out of putting her on this list because it seems so obvious. But leaving her off would feel worse.

2. My Camera

It’s not just about photos; it’s about how it changes the way I see the world. A camera teaches you to notice the way shadows fall, the details hiding in corners, and fleeting moments that might otherwise slip away.

3. Books

My first passport. My escape from the routine of daily life. I can’t imagine life without something to read.

4. Natural Light

I crave it. My mood depends on it. And it’s the magic behind so many favorite photos. A room with good light can make me feel at home anywhere.

5. Good Water Pressure

Because really, a weak, sad drizzle of a shower can ruin my whole day. Strong water pressure is one of life’s underrated joys. I don’t know if I mentioned the downstairs shower at my niece’s house where I stayed last month – that shower is like a power washer – it’s incredible!

6. My Phone

Yes, I know, it’s cliché. But mine holds my calendar, my maps, my camera roll, translators, notes I keep, my connection to people far away. I would be lost without it!

7. Hope (or something to look forward to)

I think all of us need a “next thing” on the horizon, whether it’s a trip, season two of a favorite show, or just dinner with a friend. It’s the little promises to myself that keep me hanging on.

8. A Cozy Nap Spot

I have always been a napper. A couch, a bed, even my car on a sunny day. There’s nothing like the mini escape from life a nap can give you.

9. Curiosity/Interest in New Things

It’s the thing that pushes me to keep learning, to walk down unfamiliar alleys, to try new food, to ask “why.” Without it, I wouldn’t be here writing this blog post, or about to embark on my “world tour” adventure!

10. Iced Tea

I thought I should end on something profound, but, honestly, I can’t live without my own home-brewed iced tea. It’s absence is a distraction, its presence a familiar comfort.

So that’s my ten: the small daily things that keep me going. If you’d asked me at other times in my life, this list would have included dogs, cats, and even my car. But here, now, these are the essentials.

Hope you’ll take a look at my friends’ blogs as well and see what is most important to them…

Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Sally at Within a World of My Own

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