the year is officially speeding by. i feel like i’m always saying that on here, but it’s true. i have no idea where the time goes, and i find myself wondering when it became the week before thanksgiving. even though i’m more than excited to go home, there’s something bittersweet about this upcoming thanksgiving. it’s my last time leaving college for thanksgiving break, and this thanksgiving will be different… but i’m okay with that, and if anything, i’m accepting of the fact that it will be different. something i’ve learned in the last few years (and the last few months) is not only that i’m stronger than i think, but also that it’s okay to not always be strong. this post is not how i planned it out to be; instead i was ready to post a collection of instagram photos from the past few weeks, but i guess i started writing this because i needed to. as thanksgiving approaches i realize how grateful i am for my family and friends and everything that i have been blessed with. while some of my family isn’t here with me today, it’s something that i’ve gotten better at coming to peace with. peace is a good word to describe it, but also a weird word to describe a relationship with someone’s death; this summer was tough, due to the loss of my aunt, and all the emotions and struggle that come with that. however, as thanksgiving approaches i’m grateful for my family, for my friends, and for all the opportunities i’ve had in the past few years of my life. this thanksgiving, i feel truly grateful, and while there’s a lot i can fixate on and worry over, i need to remember to always appreciate everything. i’m rambling now and my thoughts are all over the place, and i’ll have some thanksgiving cooking and “lifestyle” posts up soon, but for now i’m going to call it and leave you all with one of my favorite quotes.

“as we express our gratitude we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – jfk