Maybe it’s just the social construct of the holiday or maybe it’s actually gotten to me this year, but I have been feeling myself becoming more and more thankful for the little things in my life. For the vibrant trees, for the beautiful weather, for laughter, for the ability keep my body healthy, for being a college student at UGA, for my life.

Sometimes I can get pretty self-centered like most college students frantically trying to keep it all together all the time, but a lot of the time I forget that there’s more to life than trying to get all I have to do done. Life isn’t just class, and school, and social life, and friends; it’s about being thankful for the very life around me.

Friday after class, I had to drive straight home to Atlanta in order to get to our cabin in Highlands, North Carolina in time for dinner with my dad’s side of the family. Listening to John Mayer’s new song on repeat, “Love On The Weekend,” I couldn’t help but embrace the beauty of this amazing Fall day.

Leaves falling as I sped past the rainbow of colors on 316, feeling the warmth of the little sun beating down on me through the window, and singing at the top of my lungs like I wasn’t totally and completely visible to passing cars.

Perfect Autumn bliss.

I came home to my fluffy little 3 pound Morkie and her best friend, our 9-year-old Yorkie jumping all over my legs. I’m thankful for the most inexplicable bond with the two littlest members of the Holtzclaw family.

I decided to go sit in our sun room, facing the front yard, and just lay there, taking in the beautiful Oak right outside the big windows, and of course, bliss. I was getting warm snuggles and a nice little afternoon nap, so thankful for my home and all that we have.

I’m thankful for a safe place to land when I’m tired of doing life on my own in Athens. I’m thankful for my comfy queen bed and the smell of my mom’s special laundry detergent on my clean clothes. I’m thankful to be so blessed with a place I can truly call home.

Not to mention the people in my home who are what make my life beautiful. The unconditional amount of love, encouragement, and support that they go out of their way to offer me is beyond what I deserve.

In my opinion, even though I’m biased, I think my family is doing it right. Obviously we make mistakes, as the imperfect human beings we are, but I think that’s why we’re so good – we love each other despite the many, many bad decisions we’ve all made. We’re a team, regardless of what happens, and that is something I truly treasure in my confusing sophomore year of college.

I know this is all so cliché of me to be writing about the week of Thanksgiving Day, but I can’t help it. The hot apple cider, the beautiful scenery, the quality family time, the Christmas music – it all creates those warm, heart-felt moments where you just have to stop and soak it all in.

These moments make it hard not to be thankful, so take every chance you get to thank those around you and even thank yourself for being who you are. This season is meant for counting blessings.