The scent of the apple cinnamon dessert and turkey with gravy is still all I am smelling! As the fun and food-filling holiday of Thanksgiving passed, I thought about what I was thankful for this year.

To begin, I am really thankful for my parents. My parents are the center of my life. I am lucky enough to call my parents my best friends. They allow me to have such amazing opportunities that I would not be able to have without them. On top of this, they are my support system. I call them in hysterics, when I need a laugh, or if I just want to tell them what I am having for dinner. I am so thankful for everything my parents do for me.

I am thankful for my family. I love the Sunday calls from my Grandparents, even if it is only for three minutes. I love spending any moment at home with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am so blessed to have such a close family. I am aware many people don't have this in their life and I pledged to myself that I would never take what I have for granted. Family is everything to me.

I am thankful for my education at Ohio State. With everything going on in the world, my education teaches me how to change the world for the better. I hear and learn new perspectives on different topics daily. Without this opportunity, I would live in a bubble and not have a true look and understanding on the different views in the world. Every day, my education gets me one step closer to achieving my dreams in life. My professors and advisors that I meet through classes and clubs help me network for my future. If I did not meet the people I have met through my time here in Columbus, I would be a much different person.

I am thankful for my friends. My friends from my childhood, camp, and college all mean the world to me. Without my friends, I would not have had half the fun I have everyday. I am so grateful that I am able to surround myself with such positive and smart people. My friends inspire me and push me to be my better self. They know me better than I know myself. They make me laugh until I cry and smile until my cheeks hurt. I am so pleased that these special people will be in my life forever.

I am thankful for my boyfriend. Long-distance is hard and I was a little worried about our relationship when we began to date about a year ago. Over the year, I realized that I had nothing to worry about. 500 miles was not going to change our love for each other. I am forever thankful for FaceTime for allowing communication to be so easy for us. Noah is so kind, self-less, patient, and handsome. I am so proud of our relationship and I am excited to see it continue to grow.

There is so much more that I am thankful for, however, this is what really stuck out to me this year. Even though it may be cliché to think about what you are thankful for, it is important to step back and really appreciate who/what you have in your life.