Thank you for sharing this beautiful post. To me, what always comes to mind when thinking of the little things is how I spent 2016 traveling. In my travels, it wasn't seeing the basilicas or landmarks that shaped me, but rather the small interactions and subtle nuances within different cultures.
As an example, when I was traveling through Cambodia, I hired a tuk tuk driver for the day. He took me all over Phnom Penh and told me stories of his life. At the end of the day when it came time to pay, he looked me in the eye and thanked me for giving him the opportunity to work that day. This small token of genuine gratitude will forever stay with me.
His attitude towards something we often take for granted, a paying job, stuck with me. It was as if by him working, he had purpose. It was really beautiful.
Anyways, thanks again for sharing, I look forward to more of your posts :)