Goodbye Halloween, and hello Thanksgiving. Bring on the family, bring on the food, and bring on the blessings.

We all know Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks. This holiday season has me thinking about how grateful I am to call New Orleans home and how blessed I am to come home to a family and good food around the table. If you’re a NOLA native you’ll probably agree with me that you’re grateful for the following 20 things. Warning: the list is mostly food.

1. Boiled seafood

2. Snowless winters

Who really needs snow anyway?

3. Food Festivals

We’ve got separate celebrations for fried chicken, beignets, king cake, and po-boys… who can keep track?

4. Streetcars

Ditch the car, enjoy the breeze and take a trip downtown.

5. Mardi Gras

Enough said.

6. Pecan Pie à la mode

Because of course.

7. Tourism

We live where you want to vacation.

8. Oysters

Charbroiled, baked, raw or fried. Enjoy raw ones with cocktail sauce and Saltines.

9. Okra

Fried. Always.

10. The Superdome

The Saints, Champion square, concerts and more.

11. Music Festivals

VOODOO, French Quarter Fest, Buku, Jazz Fest… the list goes on.

12. Gumbo

Specifically the chicken and Andouille sausage variety.

13. King Cake

The king of all cakes.

14. Snowballs

Don't forget the condensed milk.

15. Shrimp and grits

If you don’t know what this is, you haven’t lived.

16. Popeye's

Do not tell me you prefer KFC.

17. The French Quarter

A historical landmark bursting with life, food and culture.

18. Fried shrimp Po-boys

Pro tip: order yours "dressed".

19. Audubon park

The perfect spot to enjoy an evening run or host an afternoon crawfish boil.

20. The word "Y'all"

A perfect and convenient contraction of you and all.

Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for reading.