Dear Dad,

No words could possibly hold the gravity of how thankful I am for you and everything you've done for me, but I'll start with a humble thank you. You have been my rock for the past nineteen years and without you, I would not be half of the woman I am today. As my father, mentor, and best friend, you've been the best navigator through this crazy maze of life. You've led me through dance recitals and the disappointments that came with them, college applications, breakups, makeups, house hunting, job hunting, and absolutely everything in between and I don't take any of it for granted.

You were there when things were bad, and you taught me to learn from them. There you were when things were great, and you taught me to appreciate them while I could. When nobody else was, you were always there, and for that I am grateful. From my debut on stage as a chubby, tap-dancing fiend to my last performance as Princess Fluorine, I could always find your face in the crowd and know that I was okay. From the crushing devastation I experienced senior year to the growth that came out of it, you were by my side the whole time, shifting my perspective from destructive to constructive. For that, I am grateful.

As a self-made man, you've given your children all that you were unable to experience, and I have boundless respect and gratitude for that. My childhood was spent knee-deep in saltwater and even deeper in lines of information at every museum you can name. We took road trips, we explored, we laughed, and we learned. You taught me the spirit of adventure and how to keep it alive, even when youth begins to fade. You filled my head with so many little facts about architecture, history, science, and the world that by now, it's filled to the very brim.

I want to thank you for helping me first find my passion, but then for continuing to support and cultivate it. You remind me that anything I can imagine is possible, making me fearless and determined to grab life by the horns. Without your endless advice, support, and guidance, I'd be nowhere close to where I am today. You've never shot down my dreams or ideas in any way; I imagine I'd be in a very different place both physically and mentally had you not taught me the virtues of love, respect, and encouragement. For that, I am grateful.

I'll be the first to admit that you're not the best at taking selfies, it takes you twenty minutes to read one plaque, and you also have this weird habit of typing with your index fingers, but we can dismiss those as "just dad things." You're my go-to yoga buddy, you know a good burger when you see one, and you're even willing to hike three miles in the pouring rain just for a nice view. If ya ask me, that constitutes a pretty solid dude, to say the least.

From day one, you've always been there, and for that I am grateful. Not many people are able to have a friendship like ours, but that makes it all the better. For being my inspiration, my role model, and my dad, thank you. To sum this all up, I love you!