It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving break is over. The school year is flying by. There have been ups and downs, but there has always been something for which to be thankful.

One of the things I’m thankful for is dorm life at Misericordia. It has been easy to feel at home with the nice CAs and comfortable rooms. It has also been fun decorating my dorm room for different times of the year. Overall, it has made being away from family better because I know I am living in a good place.

I was especially thankful for the break we just had as it was a great opportunity to appreciate my family and refresh before returning to school. Being at college makes holidays more special. It makes me realize how thankful I am for family members and moments I share with them.

Thanksgiving is already a holiday that makes me feel thankful for what I have but being away makes me feel even more thankful. I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with my Dad. My family then gathered at my aunt and uncle’s house where we enjoyed a feast. My uncle prepared the turkey and said a prayer before we eat. After the meal, the men watched football while the women talked and played board games. Thanksgiving is always a nice day and being away from my family for some time made the day even nicer.

This year I had an extra event for which to be thankful as it was the first year my high school friends got together for a Friendsgiving. It was fun to see them all again and I appreciated them even more after being away at college.

My family and I went Black Friday shopping this year, and the streets and stores were buzzing with people. It was great after not seeing the stores filled with people in my area for a while. My Dad said, “It feels like Christmas when you see everyone out.”

Technically Thanksgiving has passed, so it’s Christmas in my house now and I was thankful to be home to help decorate the house for the holiday. My room is decorated for when I return. We even got new decorations for upstairs. I was especially thankful to decorate the Christmas tree with my family while drinking hot chocolate and watching “The Polar Express.”

On my Thanksgiving break, I was thankful for both big events and the small events. Hanging around the house with my family watching new movies and shows was something I appreciated because I missed doing that. Going out for a meal with my family and making quick shopping runs are small things for which I am thankful.

Overall, college makes me thankful for the little things I didn’t think twice about before. It makes me appreciate my life more. I had a great Thanksgiving break with my family and friends, and it made me see how thankful I am for things both at Misericordia and at home.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and some thankful thoughts too. There are only three weeks until Christmas break, so let’s all push through until the end. Roll Cougs!