I was raised with manners, saying please and thank you when I was given things I asked for. As I grew up and time began to pass me by quicker, I began noting the times I forgot to say thank you for all the little things. I regretted that I never got to thank the people, places, and things that got me to where I am today.

Thank you to the friends who I left behind, whether we drifted apart or our relationship blew up into flames, thank you. Thank you for impacting my life in a way no other person could and for giving me perspective on the friendships I need and the kinds that don't suit me. Thank you for putting up with me for however long you did and for changing my life in whatever way possible.

Thank you to the person I used to be. You shaped me into the moral, thoughtful, and defiant person I am today; without the building blocks of my own mistakes, I wouldn't laugh at myself when I fall or be self-assured in eating alone and making my own choices. Although I'm grateful for how much I've grown over the years, I would be nothing without the previous versions of me that exist in the past.

Thank you to my hometown for forcing me to strive higher and be better. My small Massachusetts town known for its football and school spirit is a huge part of who I am. I grew up resenting that everyone knew my name, my reputation, and that stupid thing I did my freshman year of high school, but now I miss it more than I hate it. If it hadn't been for HHS, I wouldn't have wanted to live outside the box and do the unpopular thing. Thank you Holliston for challenging me to prove everyone else wrong because that's become the driving force behind my life.

Thank you to everyone that's ever broken my heart for reminding me what it means to be in pain and get through it. Although every single time someone's gouged a hole in my heart, I cry in my mom's lap about how life will never get better again - it does. And I gain the skills to raise higher, stand stronger, and be more self-assured. Without all the people who've told me they can't love me, I would never know what it means to love and be loved.

Thank you to all the coaches that didn't believe in me. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't strive to be the best athlete and best runner I can be. On every run and every training day, I see your faces and remember the accomplishments I wasn't acknowledged for and I still want to prove you wrong. Without you, I wouldn't have overcome one of the most debilitating stress injuries and I would not discovered how deep my passion for running is. Thank you for letting me prove you wrong.

Thank you to my best friend for holding when I cried even though you'd never even seen me cry before and for dropping what you were doing just to be there for me that time and every time after that. Everyday I wonder how I got so lucky meeting you and why you've decided to continually put up with me when I'm difficult. Thank you for opening the doors of your house and letting your family become my family. I can never be thankful enough for the little things you do, challenging me to be the best person I can be in my relationships and in my life.

Finally thank you to my parents for literally giving me life, for raising me and for giving me my best chance. I am so thankful that I have parents that also get to double as my best friends when I need it; the both of you have sacrificed so much to raise me and my brother. I can never be thankful enough for all the countless things each of you does everyday. I aspire to be parents and have a marriage like yours someday (except my kids will have WAY more freedom, just saying). I love the two of you more than you know and want to more times than I get it to say it.

No matter where you go in your life, be thankful for those around you, for the people who've hurt you and taught you lessons. Focusing on the positive the good and laughing a lot has brought me so far in the past year. Last but not least, thank you to everyone for reading!