Everyone who meets my parents has one of three things to say: "Your dad is so tall" "You look like your mom" or "Your parents are such hippies." At the latter I usually just chuckle and say "I know, it's great." These tie-dye wearing, Grateful Dead-loving (is "worshipping" too strong of a word?), cross-country-road-tripping people are hardworking, inspiring, and totally groovy, and I wouldn't want to have been born to anyone else. Here's why I'm endlessly grateful for my "hippie" parents.

1. They taught me kindness and compassion.

From childhood, my mother always told me to "kill them with kindness." If I told her about another kid in school who I didn't get along with, or if a friend and I had a disagreement, she'd always say this, and it's always stuck with me. She taught me that being kind always triumphed over being right, and that having compassion and seeing things from the other person's perspective is very important. This is still something I carry with me and keep in mind today, and I know I always will.

2. They showed me fantastic, timeless music.

Growing up, the music of the Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Bob Marley, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and so many others was always playing through some speaker or other in my house. My dad loves nothing more than to open all the windows in the house during the summer and blast "Touch of Grey" or "Tangled up in Blue" for everyone to hear. As kids, he'd turn to my brother or I and say "I'll give you a dollar if you can tell me who sings this." I pretty much came out of the womb with these artists' songs engraved in my mind - soul - and they inspired a love of music in me from an early age; I started playing the guitar in fifth grade, and developed a great appreciation for poetry and songwriting shortly thereafter, not to mention I've always loved to sing. These days, when I listen to these classic artists (which is often), the nostalgia hits me hard, and I feel a great sense of comfort and "home."

3. They taught me a love of nature.

All growing up, both my parents, but my dad especially encouraged my brother and I to spend most of our time outside. Wandering the woods, lying in the grass and the sun, playing made-up games and sports, picking flowers, climbing trees, running around, and getting dirty were my favorite things to do. We went on plenty of camping trips and hikes when my brother and I were younger, and my best friends and I spent years roaming the woods in our hometown, finding new trails to explore and developing a love of the earth that is comparable to nothing else. These days I am never not astounded by a gorgeous sunset, invigorated by fresh air and sunlight, and at peace in front of the ocean or among the trees.

4. They taught me to always be myself.

My mom especially has never been a lover of trends. Anything designer or "in style" completely disinterested her, and she always told me it never mattered what I wore, or if everyone else had the same thing. Wearing and doing things that felt good to me was always more important than being "in." She encouraged my own personal style and interests all the time, and I'm so thankful for that because as an adult, I'm not concerned with others' opinions of my style or interests, and just do what makes me happy.

5. They encouraged creativity always.

One of my first favorite activities was coloring. As a three year old, I would sit and color for hours, to the surprise of my parents and my grandmother. As I got older, I my creativity blossomed and I would do all kinds of activities, like drawing as well as making jewelry, designing clothes I'd love to wear, making christmas ornaments, creating cards for every occasion and every family member, and even re-decorating my room all the time. My parents would always validate and encourage my creative endeavors, and now my creativity is a very important aspect of my life and my happiness, and it spills into everything I do.

6. They influenced my dreams in life.

I grew up hearing about my parents' experiences traveling together, attending dozens of concerts, road-tripping across the united states, meeting countless new people, and everything in between. I admire and envy the things they've done in life, together as well as individually, and I know I'm right behind them, traveling, seeing different shows in countless cities, taking day trips and planning long distance ones to see as much as I can. My parents have always been an example to me that not everything has to be done conventionally or as expected, and that's really given me a more open and free mindset.