What makes you feel alive?

What makes you feel alive? It’s a loaded question. I’m not talking about the cheesy, clichéd stuff: roasting marshmallows by a fireside, a lover’s touch, a child’s laugh, a beautiful, sublime sunset. These are all wonderful things. But what makes you, personally, feel alive?
For me, it’s the buzz after eating a two dollar chocolate bar, after a bad day.
It’s the tea in my favorite café.
It’s the feel of pruned hands.
It’s waking up in the winter, when the cold air numbs my lips, and I can just snuggle in my blankets and forget about everything.
It’s deciding to wake up in the morning to walk to the beach and start a bonfire with a couple close friends.
It’s the chill that rises up my spine when I’m around a stranger that fascinates me.
It’s the sound of bubble wrap popping.
It’s the moment when the thunderclap hits, when I count the seconds after a lightning flash.
It’s the smell of grass the day after a storm.
It’s the look of surprise I see at an impromptu visit to an old friend.
It’s the parting handshake with a close friend, knowing it’s not “farewell”, but “see you later”.
It’s when a child beams when they finally understand a tricky math problem.
It’s being alone and laughing to the empty air remembering an old inside joke.
It’s being together with family after a tragedy, realizing I’m not alone.
It’s the catharsis I feel when I figure out that I love someone.
It’s sweaty palms, tense shoulders and flickering eyes at the uncertainty of life.
What makes me realize the world is worth a damn.
What makes you feel alive?