Put Me on a Soapbox, Here Goes the Speech

I won't even try to apologize about the lack of posts to the two (or fewer) people who read this..this blog is more for me than anything else, and school has been taking over my life. Tonight is the first time I've had some time to myself in a long, long time. But I do want to remember this amazing experience that I'm having! Unfortunately, I don't keep up with this nearly as much as I should, so the details of most of my memories will probably fade. However, I'll post whenever I can find the time.

So let's see here..it's a week until Thanksgiving! For the first time in my life, I won't be celebrating my second favorite holiday at home this year. New York is just too far to fly twice in less than a month. So I am left counting down the days until December 16th, when I fly into my favorite city on earth. I've been fantasizing about Christmas in New York until it ended about 340 days ago. And it's almost here! I am not ashamed to admit it, I've been listening to Christmas music since before Halloween! But that's for another time, right now it's the season of thankfulness, and boy, do I have plenty to be grateful for!

First, family. Even though my family never takes the initiative to call me, and I'm slightly bitter that they're living my ideal life in my favorite city right now (AND they're visiting my OTHER favorite city without me in February [that would be London]), I love them more than I can ever express. And my gratitude for them is infinite. For all my quirks they've looked past, for all my tantrums that they've ignored, and for all of the amazing memories they've provided me with, I am truly (and eternally) thankful. I just wish I could spend this holiday with them!

Second, friends. I have the most amazing friends! And when you're in college, your friends are your family. So here's to the most adventurous/awkward/fun/understanding/loyal/amazing/unforgettable/GENUINE friends I've ever had. I am forever indebted to all of you.

Third, the little things. You know, those small objects, moments, words, sounds, places, and sights that just make you inexplicably happy. Those things that elate you to heights you cannot describe for reasons you do not know (am I the only one who has those?). For me, it's miniature things. It's a Harry Potter book. It's the discovery of a great song. It's a fantastic meal. It's a hug from a friend. It's the sound of leaves crunching, or a horse's hooves on cobblestone, or pouring rain on the tin roof of my house, or the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack. It's singing. It's that feeling of your stomach dropping on a roller coaster. It's traveling to a new place. It's dressing up. It's dressing down. It's laughing until I cry. It's a fantastic thunderstorm. It's the first snowfall. It's hot chocolate on a cold day. It's picnics in the summertime. It's photography. It's telling pointless stories. It's making weird noises. It's a kiss on the forehead. It's those moments that just happen to turn into spontaneous adventures. It's the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are so many of them! All you have to do is pay attention to those little things..they may not seem to carry much weight, but in reality, they mean the difference between a happy life and a miserable one.

So this holiday season, I'm resolving to be more grateful, and I'm convinced I'll find even more happiness than I already have. As for this post's song, check out "Kiss Me Slowly" by Parachute. What a fantastic song...I can't get it out of my head!

Ahhh, the memories..I'm so incredibly grateful....