Z is for Zen

It can be said that I achieve inner peace in unusual ways.  While writing this I'm taking breaks periodically to have a bite of pickled tongue, all the way from Montreal.  Some can't stand the harsh vinegar taste, others don't like the idea of a snack that licks them back; for me the pork delicacy from my childhood is the perfect comfort food.

I've just come home from three hours of improv workshops.  I'm tired, but it's a good tired. I get a similar feeling from visiting contemporary art galleries, saturated with ideas and beauty and meaning. On the car ride home my friend asked me to name my favourite scene of the night, and I couldn't remember a single one.  It was as if I was trying to remember a dream.  I know I laughed, I know I played, but the details slipped away.

There are so many other things that bring me contentment, reruns of Star Trek, the smell of oil paint, sea food, hugs, a good book, a bad movie, karaoke, the list goes on.  What are some things that are zen to you?