With Thanksgiving and other holidays upon us I wanted to put out there just a few "unconventional" things that I am grateful for and so lucky to have in my life so far.

There are about a million and one more things that I am thankful for, but here is a list of 7 things that I am thankful for at this very moment.

It's sometimes hard to appreciate what or who you have in your life, so I encourage you to sit down for even just a few minutes and make a list like this to fully recognize all the good in your life that you are thankful for everyday even if you have a tendency to take it for granted.

1. The small get togethers with family and friends

The most memorable moments for me are the moments when you invite a few friends or a few family members over and you just relax and have a conversation with them. I appreciate the small things in life so when someone takes time out of their day to get a coffee with me or jut go on a walk where we can have a real conversation is so refreshing. These moment are very personal to me and the moments I cherish most.

2. Late night car rides

I don't know if this is just because of where I am from or if this is common for a lot of college students when they go back home for either a break or the summer, but late night car rides are one of my favorite pastimes. Some night me and my friends will literally be hanging out in one of our houses and we will just be like "anyone want to go for a ride". We get in the car and blast music and all just have a happy time.

3. Getting advice

Some people loath taking other peoples advice, but I literally live for that shit. I love when people give me advice, regardless if I am going to take it or not. It means that they really care about you and are actually using their own experiences in their own life to help you out. I feel like advice is such a selfless act of kindness. That person has no motives when giving you advice other than only to help you ! How thoughtful is that. I appreciate when someone takes the time to tell me how they feel about a certain aspect of my life.... so feel free to always give me advice.

4. "this reminded me of you"

I get a tingling feeling when someone I care about tells me something reminds me of them or tells me a piece of clothing they saw at the store was "so me". Especially when they hear a song that reminds them of me. When someone tells me this I get so excited because it just shows that they really care about you. It shows that they care enough about you to remember tiny aspects of your life. Its one of the best feelings.

5. Handwritten letters

This is just a small thing that I am so thankful for. Yes it is cheesy, but it makes communication so much more cherished. When I get a letter I read it over a billion times and I even save the letter for memories. Nowadays it is so easy to just shoot a text to someone or call them and have a five second conversation. When someone hand writes a letter and sends it to you through the mail, you know that thought and effort went into sending that letter and it makes that communication so much more meaningful.

6. Surprise gifts

In this instance it really is the thought that counts. Getting a surprise gift from someone when its not even close to my birthday helps me value that person even more. They thought about me randomly while either at a store or even better thought of me and then went to the store to get something for me that they know that would bring me happiness with, again, no ulterior motive. That is a true act of compassion and those people in my life are keepers, regardless of the gift.

7. A good book

This one is simple. I love having time to read for fun, so when I read a book I love to tell everyone about it.