Anticipation is one of the ways we experience joy before it arrives.
Field Notes
The cookies are not ready. Most still look remarkably similar to the original scoops of dough. Yet the girl waiting by the oven is not responding to what exists in the present moment. She is responding to what she knows is coming. Humans have a remarkable ability to enjoy future experiences before they happen. We imagine vacations, reunions, celebrations, meals, and milestones long before they arrive. The reward eventually comes and goes. Anticipation lets us enjoy it in advance.