With Thanksgiving (and the subsequent break from classes) approaching fast, I am struck by how grateful I am that I will be able to go home for the holiday. My home isn't a terrible drive away from where I live. At most, it can take about an hour and a half. Not everyone is so lucky with the distance to be able to see their family as often as I've seen mine. Because it's just close enough, I see my family frequently enough that I don't really think "O woe is me, I miss home" very often. In fact, my parents made it a point to come to every football game so that they could see me perform at the halftime show with the marching band.

So all my hype for the break is literally all for the fact that I don't have any classes for a week, and I get to sleep in a bed that's larger than a twin and I will get to see my cats. That's the biggest plus, because, as much as I've gotten to see my parents, I haven't been able to see my cats very often, and I love my cats. I'm also really looking forward to seeing and catching up with my friends in person.

I've missed my friends back home. One of them is actually driving down to pick me up after class and bring me back home. I don't think I've been this excited since going to the Indy Scream Park for the first time with the other members of the color guard this past October.

I really have a lot to be grateful for. I have friends who are willing to drive down to come see me and pick me up for break. I have family who makes the time to come down for every football game just to see me perform. My older sister texts me to tell me things she thinks I'll find interesting or just to check up on me. My older brother gets in touch when he's going to visit our parents to see if I want him to pick me up, too. My close friends make sure to talk to me every day, whether it's about something really important or just to tell me they're bored or they miss me and want to make plans to meet up with each other. The other members of the color guard have done a lot to make sure that I feel included and part of their pre-established dynamic.

Thanksgiving is a day all about being thankful, and I think I have a lot to be thankful for that I take for granted (like how close to home I am). Another thing I've taken for granted over the years that I'm really coming to terms with is some of the amazing friendships I've developed over the years. I'm beyond thankful to have these people in my life. I'm actually currently working on repairing one of the better friendships I've had in my life, and I'm really glad that they still want to be friends, too.

I'm trying not to take so many things for granted as I go home for the holiday, like how my mother wants to dote on me and be extra involved in my life (even if it can get really annoying and I would prefer the space). I'm hoping by keeping the spirit of Thanksgiving in mind, I'll be able to enjoy my week off even more than before.