I have never been a huge fan of Thanksgiving, and I know that when I say that, a large percentage of the U.S.A.’s population will shun me. Maybe it’s the social pressure that I felt as a little kid waiting literally for hours for dinner to start and then sitting politely at a fancy table for another couple of hours. That turned me off of the holiday. Maybe it is that one Thanksgiving memory I have of being forced to try the sweet potatoes and promptly getting sick, proving to everyone that I really did not like them. Either way, I’ve never been a huge fan. It always seemed like a lot of trouble for just a few hours of feasting. Even though I come from a family of pescetarians, and we traditionally eat salmon, the whole turkey dinner thing never seemed especially exciting. This year, however, I couldn’t be more excited.

While I’m really more of a Christmas fan, (yes, I’m already playing Christmas music and planning all of my Christmas cookie recipes) I am extremely excited for Thanksgiving. A huge part of that excitement is that it’s the first time I will be going home since starting college. I’m dying to sleep in my own bed, see my family, cook in a real kitchen, and play with all of my pets. I’m also really ready for some warmer southern weather, free from the difficulty of typos due to freezing fingers.

Thanksgiving is a reminder that there are tons of things that I take for granted, things for which I’m not always the most thankful. Life goes by super quickly, and with classes, sport training, and social life, my mind can wander away from what’s really important. Sometimes it feels like I’m not very present, like I’m moving as fast as I can without looking around at my surroundings. While moving quickly can be necessary when I have a ton of school work, I’ve lost my usual habit of “stopping to smell the roses.”

More than anything, being away from home has made me more thankful for my family. I like to believe that I have always been thankful for my family. I absolutely love my parents and siblings, and they have supported me through every single stage of my life. However, I am made more aware, each and every day, just how much their presence, through text, phone call, or letter, can make a difference. I’m also thankful for every dog on the face of the Earth. Of course, I’ve missed my own dogs, but I’ve realized just how thankful I am that dogs exist. Last night, I heard a dog barking outside before I fell asleep, and I realized, again, just how much dogs affect my mood. I guess I am reminded of my thankfulness every now and then, but sometimes I don’t associate the word thankfulness with the pang I feel in my heart when I hear something that sounds like home.

It sounds kind of silly, being thankful for such small things, sounds, smells, foods, places, reminders of home, but it’s important to remember. There doesn’t have to be just one day of thankfulness. It can be a daily practice, a second of thankfulness, a moment of recognition. Maybe I’ve never really liked Thanksgiving because I feel like I should be thankful every day, and when I sit down for dinner with my family on an ordinary Thursday night, I want to feel just as happy and just as grateful as I will be on Thanksgiving Day.