I just returned from a trip out of state, so I am a little bit delayed in acknowledging receipt of my gift (sorry!). My Secret Santa knocked. it. out. of. the. park.

I am admittedly a hard person to shop for when it comes to gifts -- something my Arbitrary Day Santa picked up on pretty quickly. I think that I am hard to shop for, in part, because I am not a huge fan of just having things for things' sake, but rather prefer thoughtful gifts that can bring something new to my life. And man, my Santa hit the mark!

First, a beautiful "Read. Rise. Resist." coffee mug and iron-on patch. I am a huge fan of coffee and will be putting the mug to good use in no time. The mug also has a beautiful quote on the back that reads: "Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become." -Heraclitus (I did not originally see the inscription, so it was a pleasant surprise to see when I sat down to write this note of thanks. <3) The patch together with the mug form a rainbow gradient which is an incredibly thoughtful nod to my membership in, and commitment to, the LGBTQ community. #PRIDE

That alone could have been enough, but my Secret Santa also picked up on a detail I included about not really having many hobbies -- and gifted me an incredibly beautiful (and fancy) pencil case and sketch pad -- both of which are firsts for me. Santa, you hit the nail on the head with your remark about sometimes the first step -- just getting the supplies you need to try something new -- being the biggest barrier. I am excited to try this new thing. If I ever make it big as an artist -- please do not hold your breath -- I will be sure to send over a drawing. :)

I also received some hilarious greeting cards and a funny sticker. I laughed out loud at the "fuck it, let's go do some crimes" card.

And last, but not least, I received a wonderful letter from my Santa, E (which I am not posting here, but am keeping for myself.)

E -- You really knocked it out of the park. I am already envious of your future giftees; they will be lucky to match with you. Thank you for being so thoughtful and taking the time to send me such sweet gifts. I am genuinely impressed by everything you came up with -- as I was opening each gift, I was like "Awww, I love it. I love it ... and I also love this! Oh my gosh!" I may be hard to shop for, but you rose to the challenge brilliantly.

From what I read, you're also fighting the good fight every day. I'm so glad to be fighting alongside you. Best wishes to you in Portland! Thank you, again.