During Thanksgiving, many people think back over the past year, or even their entire lives and express what they are truly grateful for. Family, health and the food on the table are just a few common things people are thankful for. Although I am grateful for these things, I was never one to follow the status quo, especially in situations like these. One prominent example is the Thanksgiving when I was five. My kindergarten teacher asked us what were thankful for and I stated that I was thankful for “the existence of the universe.” Now thirteen years later I find myself grateful for another unconventional thing: the people in my college dorm hall.

Recently my hallmates and I were stunned to realize that we had been at college for exactly three months. The first few weeks at school seem like such a long time ago. Like most college freshman, for the first couple of days, I felt a tremendous amount of excitement, intimidation, and loneliness. Almost none of my friends from high school came to college with me and I knew that every friend I would have in my college career, I would have to make on my own. This was overwhelmingly frightening, even for a person that is somewhat extroverted.

This Thanksgiving, I cannot help but look back to these three months where I have made such wonderful friends in my hall that honestly feel like family. It makes me wonder how I became so lucky to have such amazing, considerate, and hilarious people just thirty feet away from me.

Honestly, it is not luck at all. The fact that my hall was just put together randomly shows that absolutely anyone can become your best friend

As I celebrated the spirit of Thanksgiving and my “halliversary” (that is, hall anniversary, in case you did not catch it) I am thinking about all the times these people have opened my mind, made me laugh, and touched my heart in the last three months.

Keep a few things in mind when you go out and celebrate Thanksgiving. Have an open mind, because life is unpredictable and you could end up changing yours or someone's for the better. Finally and most importantly, try and touch people’s hearts the way my hall has touched mine.