With Thanksgiving rolling in next week, most of us are coming to terms with the shocking realization that the semester is practically over. Only a few short weeks follow Thanksgiving break before the dreaded finals period casts its spell of doom upon our weak, burnt-out bodies. Honestly, I’m just caught up in the fact that the semester has escaped me before I really got the chance to latch on, and the arrival of Thanksgiving break serves as my reminder.
As students get ready to reunite with family and friends across the world, I would like to take the time to reflect on everything I have to be thankful for, at the risk of sounding cliché. The first semester of junior year has been a learning experience to say the least, but I am a firm believer in the notion that everything happens for a reason. The beginning of this year has already introduced me to another level of independence and maturity, the looming phase of adulthood always in the back of my thoughts. But again, I have to remind myself the importance of living in the moment, remembering to emphasize the present, so with that I want to pause time for a brief second and evaluate the good in the here and now. In the spirit of Thanksgiving…
I am thankful for my loving and supportive family. Sometimes I wonder if they know me better than myself, always equipped with the perfect thing to say at a time when I need to hear it more than ever. A built-in system of unconditional love and nourishment, I can turn to them even at the darkest of times, knowing nothing I can possibly do will make them love me any less or believe in me any less.
I am thankful for my lifelong friends and the relationships I am continuing to build. The people in my life make each day brighter, funnier and purer, and I am lucky to have found them. No matter how different our lives, we live them together and laugh and love each other through every moment.
I am thankful for my education, which has further fueled my passion for storytelling and helped me to refine my methods of doing so in the most effective way possible. Each semester presents its own challenges, but I have found that I grow stronger after making it to the end, after a journey well fought.
I am thankful for the city of Boston and beyond, for the opportunities of exploration it has given me, fulfilling my crave for experiencing new things and providing me with a chance to learn through doing. As I navigate my way through college, Boston has been there along the ride, shaping my personal growth as I mature each year. Just when I think I’ve run out of things to do, Boston reminds me I have to keep going.
I am thankful for the new coffee shops I’ve discovered this semester, activating my creativity when campus libraries just don’t do the trick. Always on the hunt for a fresh cup of joe in a cozy yet vibrant coffee house setting, I have found great inspiration in Boston’s array of niche cafes and am excited to unveil more (Obviously I had to include coffee on my list — did you think I wouldn’t?).
I am thankful to be alive.
