Ever since last year, my first Thanksgiving as a college student, I have been counting down the days until I could be home again and eat the comfort food of my dreams. No class registration to worry about or stress of a constant piling schedule.

Only my family and their Class A cooking to fill my worried mind and empty stomach. So, you can’t blame me for wishing away the moments of life between now and then. Desiring more than ever for rest and comfort of my busy heart.

However, I realized in wishing for the season of Thanksgiving that I found myself ironically unthankful. I was hoping and pining after this idea that being home in the glimpse of holiday and tradition would fill my heart up.

And although this definitely will fill me up in more ways than one in just a few days, I saw that I was missing everything in between. The little things in life that we should be thankful for always, not just when it is set on a stand.

1. A Booming Schedule

Although first, this is often times the hardest for me to appreciate and be thankful for. I find myself calling my mom or complaining to my roommate about running from one event to the next, with no breathing room in between. No room to sit down and “smell the roses,” however I have learned recently that sometimes the best way to smell the roses is when your sprinting through life… leaving no room for regrets or no’s.

2. Laughter

In the sorority lunch line, the YoungLife club room, the 30-second Facebook video sent by my roommate and the trip on my walk to class. Every laughter picks up my lonely thoughtful heart and lets it carry on.

3. Kindness From A Stranger

We have all had the moment. Sitting in the Chick-Fil-A drive through, card in hand, all to find that it’s been paid for in the end.

4. Music

If you have read any of my previous writing, you know by now that music is the way to my heart. It picks up my soul in the daily life and the darkest of times. I truly don’t find myself ever taking it for granted, but am reminded to be thankful for the tunes that constantly fill my hours and life with background music of my dreams.

5. Sunsets

I have been met with sky’s recently that I genuinely think have been copy and pasted from the most wonderful paintings ever created. Whether it is a walk home from the gym or in the midst of a philanthropy event with the distracting smells of yummy food, nothing takes away from the colorfully masked sky of purple and pink dye.

6. A Mi Familia

Yes, this seems like the most cliche and obvious part of life to be thankful for. Everyone says their family first right? They put them at the top of the list. Well, they are most definitely at mine. However, when I say family I truly do mean the people that are family to me in this season of my life. Of course, my beautiful and incredible mom who has the most giving heart out of anyone I know in the means of going out of her way to make you feel loved in the best way (eight hour road trips anyone?). And my amazing, wise and funny dad, the one who constantly fills me up with cheer and the wisest ideas of life. My adorably energetic sister, who never leaves my inbox filled with less than 10 texts of emojis screaming the troubles of her middle school life. And finally, the two best friends that any girl could be paired with in life: Jake and Drew, the twin brothers who never leave a dull moment in my crazy life. But also the rest of my family. My amazing YoungLife team, my hilariously loving roommate, and the friends placed all throughout my different worlds.