Howdy! I’m coming at you from the great state of Texas yet again.
Travel has been hard. Granted, I’ve only been at this for two weeks in a row. But being away from the comfort of my own bed, kitchen, and boyfriend has really taken its toll.
It’s incredible the simple things I take for granted, like being able to make tea whenever I want. Sleeping on the best pillow in the entire world. Having my boyfriend wrap his arms around me after a particularly rough day.
You know what else has been difficult? Eating. In the land of all-things beef. And BBQ.
There literally are no restaurants around me that are conducive to my eating style. There’s a Jack-in-the-Box and a Taco Bell across the street. Not much else. I kid you not.
Another thing I take for granted? The Aldi right across the street. Oh, and my fridge. My sweet, sweet fridge.
When life starts going a little wacky, one of the last things on my mind is what I’m thankful for. It’s SO counter-intuitive; when my life seems crazy out-of-control, I should be grounding myself in the things I love most. The things I can always count on to cheer me up or to help me realize just how lucky I am.
As the holiday season grows closer, I find my stress at new highs. Gift-buying, special post-planning, keeping up with a whole foods diet-ing…the holiday stress is real. During the holidays, I definitely lose sight of what’s important in life. I get so lost in the hustle and bustle and holiday “cheer,” that I actually forget to give thanks for all of the good in my life.
This is why I decided to change it up this Thursday and make a list of 50 things I’m thankful for at this very moment. I hope that it can encourage you to make a list of your own. Feeling zany? Leave a few in the comments! I’d love to bounce some ideas off of each other and add to my list. You can never be thankful for too many things!
Thankful Thursday
1. Mark: one of my biggest supporters
2. my wonderful parents: my other biggest supporters
3. my crazy-awesome brother: my partner in crime
4. my grandparents: so loving and encouraging
5. Mark’s parents: the best welcoming, apple-giving folks around
6. pumpkin season: because Pumpkin Peanut Butter Truffles
7. apple season: because Apple Pie Stuffed Apples
8. cinnamon season: because Gluten Free Vegan Banana Nut Muffins
9. fall trees: because it really fall without going breathless over the beauty of a bright red tree?
10. cooler weather: there’s literally nothing better because of…
11. sweaters: duh
12. boots: my love
13. scarves: yes, please
14. relationships with awesome people: aka. one of the best days of my life
15. grocery stores: is anyone else a closet grocery shopping-lover?
16. farmers’ markets: give me all the honeycrisps
17. peanut butter: because 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge
18. planes: because…
19. I’m going home today: !!!
20. I’m spending the weekend with my incredible boyfriend: by going hiking, celebrating an anniversary, and all-around enjoying fall
21. oatmeal: because nothing makes a tastier breakfast on a cool morning
22. carrots + hummus: if you read the intro on this post, you’ll understand why this was my dinner every night this week
23. La Croix water: I could live off of this stuff alone
24. smiles: because my day instantly gets better when I see someone smiling
25. cuddling during cool nights: THE BEST
26. wine: it’s Thursday. Enough said
27. mojitos: see above
28. Game of Thrones: aka. the best show on television
29. good music + Pandora: I’m thoroughly obsessed with the “Fitz and the Tantrums” station
30. gluten free beer: Redbridge is DELICIOUS
31. bonfires: is there anything better than the smell of a bonfire?!
32. Thai peanut sauce: because I could drink it with a straw
33. my apartment: hello, adulthood
34. texts like this: #swoon
35. my health: all of those apples are paying off! ;)
36. trust: sososo important
37. my bed: aka. my happy place
38. my phone/computer/electronic devices: I wouldn’t even know how to function without these
39. FaceTime: I’m able to talk to Mark face-to-face every single day that I’m away
40. kitten faces: because this makes me all kinds of happy
41. love: <3
42. comforting fall candles: we have a slight obsession with these in our apartment
43. inside jokes: the best kinds of jokes
44. graduating and my degree: one of the proudest days of my life
45. blogging opportunities: I’ve met so many awesome people through this little hobby of mine
46. Netflix: because we all need some down time every now and again
47. cozy blankets: ahh pure happiness
48. I’m not the person I was four years ago: lotsa self-development goin’ on over here!
49. Fooduzzi: the best thing I’ve ever done for myself
50. you: thank you, dear readers, for supporting my dreams. I lovelovelove you
Gah, I love this, Alexa! So often I, too, find myself getting so caught up in stressing about the time I don’t have, the places where I’m not, the dreams I have for myself that I haven’t yet achieved, etc, that I find myself unhappy and discontented with where my life is because I’m living too far in the future without being grateful for the HERE and NOW. It’s all about finding happiness and thankfulness in the journey. And amen to the pillow thing…I absolutely cannot sleep well without my very own pillow, haha! :)
How eloquently put, Lucia! I absolutely agree – it’s SO important to just take a deep breath and be thankful for the good happening in your life! I’m glad you liked this post! :)