With the end of Thanksgiving (or before Halloween, according to CVS), the Holiday season is officially underway. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Krampus, or nothing, it's that time of year. Regardless of your views and ideologies, it's that time of year where we all come together to celebrate family, friendship, and our respective beliefs. With that being said, the team wanted to release a group article discussing what we love about their certain parts of Texas. Below is a Thanksgiving thankful video from several team members, and below you can read what makes the Millennials of TX thankful and happy to be living in the Great State.

-SBB

Thankful from Austin, TX

I am often asked why I chose to go to college in my hometown. Well, my hometown happens to be the beautiful, brilliant, and eclectic Austin, Texas (and that’s Austin proper, not a suburb, thank you very much). Truth be told, when I was finishing high school, I knew I wasn’t ready to leave this place. There was so much I hadn’t seen yet: all of the parks, the local restaurants and coffee shops, themed dance nights downtown… Staying in Austin felt simultaneously like being right at home and being in a whole different world. This year, I’m thankful that I got to spend one more Thanksgiving with my family in ATX before I graduate and go wherever life takes me.

-OA

Thanksgiving from Holland, TX

Most people from my town swore & swore they would never return to this small hole in the wall once they graduated, as much as they hoped that would stay true it very rarely happens. As we travel on to bigger things in the world, we begin to cherish and miss the values of Small Town, USA. Growing up, we didn't just have our mom, every mom in a 10 mile radius was a second mom. No One was ever going to go hungry, or have no place to stay. I personally would not be surprised in the slightest if I decide to raise my family here in the same town, I would find it a blessing to have my children grow up in the town that made me who I am. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time in our town, a lot of us are related and it becomes a family reunion rather than holiday. I am thankful for my upbringing making me who I am. Holland, TX… Thank you.

-AW

Thankful from The Colony, Texas (No, it's not a cult)

Traveling for the holidays was never something I did as a kid, but as I get older, it is becoming more of a tradition. I reside now in a little town in South Texas, called Cotulla. We live on a ranch and I am grateful every day for the amazingly beautiful place I get to wake up in. However, The Colony, Texas is where I will always call home. I grew up with a tribe of people raising me. I lived about a mile away from my Granny and Pawpaw and my aunts and uncles. My best friends and I literally grew up living within a minute walking distance from each other. And now, coming home for the holidays, I am thankful to be able to come back to a place that is always growing, yet somehow always stays the same. My friends and family are what makes this place home.

-KL

Lubbock or Leave It

Wow. 2016 has been something, hasn't it? The Cubbies won The World Series and the his of The Apprentice is our next president. Truthfully, I wasn’t ready for such a big change. In the song, “She’s Like Texas” by The Josh Abbott Band, he writes a line how "her moods change like the weather in Lubbock”, which everyone in Lubbock knows to be true. In a way, The Hub City has taught me to be flexible and go with the flow, and I'm thankful for that. So while I was curled up with a cup of tea after Thanksgiving dinner, I thought about how lucky I was to be getting an education at such and wonderful school and in a wonderful, albeit spontaneous town, and that everything was going to be okay. I just need to go with the flow.

-MBH

Thankful from Frisco, TX

I am thankful for my Texas suburban town because of the shopping centers closeby, as well as the high school I graduated from in 2015 for providing the best education and accessible resources a student can have. I will be forever grateful of my passion for (creative) writing: something I look forward to studying in college, and the chance in become a better writer in the professional world. Although family is the one of the basic factors for the holidays, I want to acknowledge my sister and cousins (who are my second set of siblings) for our relationship being better than ever during this difficult time within the past month, and for the encouragement as I had to take time off of school earlier this year. Finally, I am thankful for 2016 for all of the blessings and struggles that have made me become a stronger person.

-BD

Thankful from Longview, TX

This Thanksgiving I had the privilege of being able to travel all over Texas to see family and friends. I got to travel to Dallas, Austin, Ozona, College Station, and finally my hometown of Longview. I am eternally grateful for family that was more than willing to let me tag along, last minute, on trips all over Texas. Because of that, I was able to see family and friends I had not seen in almost 2 years, which was a true blessing. I am also thankful that I got to go to College Station and see the Fighting Texas Aggies play some football on Thanksgiving day. Although they lost to LSU, for the fourth year in a row :(, it was still such a fun day spent cheering on the Aggies with my parents and sister. I will be forever grateful for this Thanksgiving and for the fun laughs and memories shared with friends and family. More than anything I am grateful to be given the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with family, and for all the delicious food I got engorge myself in.

-TW

Thankful from Laredo, TX

Although another Thanksgiving has come and gone, being thankful for the smallest and largest blessings in my life continues throughout the year. The holidays always bring me back to my hometown in South Texas. It is a great time to enjoy my family and reunite with high school friends. In addition, being home is a chance to eat at my favorite local restaurants and shop my favorite boutiques. Even though I love winter clothes, I am thankful that Laredo never gets too cold. The opportunity to enjoy the city I grew up in during the holidays remind me of how much I am thankful for. It is easy to get sidetracked on all the things that are missing during the holidays or even throughout the year, but I often take a step back and breathe. I instantly realize I am thankful I woke up in a house with family that loves me, blocks away from my friends, and live in a city with so many memories from my childhood.

-AS

Thankful from Holland, TX

I grew up in a town with a population of 1200. Although I no longer attend Holland High, I will forever be a Hornet. I am thankful that I was able to be a part of a small school. Although we didn't have any of those fancy classes offered by bigger schools, I loved being able to know every single one of my classmates' names. I am thankful for my experiences in band, One Act Play, the newspaper, and Academic UIL because they are some of my cherished memories. Living in a small town helped me see the importance of community.

-LL

Thankful from Plano, TX

Although I haven’t lived there my whole life, I consider Plano to be my home. I cannot be more thankful to come home from college to a suburb of north Dallas where my friends, family, and memories reside. When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of waking up to take a walk around the neighborhood to see my neighbors playing football, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while cooking, and relaxing on the couch and watching some post-meal Cowboys football. The day after Thanksgiving I always find myself saying it is too warm out yet to put up decorations, but I find myself lighting the house for Christmas anyways. I am thankful for the holiday spirit that Dallas and the suburbs around Dallas has, from the Ice display at the Gaylord to looking at Christmas lights in Deerfield. I love going to The Shops at Legacy for dinner to see the streets all lit up and to take basic pictures underneath the big Christmas tree. The holiday season is my favorite time of year and I am thankful to be able to experience its joy with my close family and friends in my hometown.

-LE

Thankful from Dallas, TX

Ahh Thanksgiving.. A time when you’re supposed to be thankful for family. All that traditional stuff. What is someone thankful for that doesn’t have their family near them? Being a new transplant to Dallas has put me in this conundrum. And I can say I’m extremely thankful for the professional teams here. Working for three of the five teams here has provided me with great connections, fans, and friends. They have served as my family away from family. So thank you, Cowboys, for not only winning on the field, but off of it as well.

-LT

Thankful from Plainview, TX

The town of Plainview is about as plain as its name. There are many reasons to be thankful for this town. Not because of its scenery or the “fun” things to do there, but because of its people. When people ask me about Plainview I tell them, “Plainview is where you will meet some of the best and worst people.” I understand that may sound awful to say, but when I say that I focus more on the positive. So, I’m thankful for Plainview because it taught me that I have family that doesn’t share the same blood or last name as me. That I have so many people who love me when I do not love myself and fight for me when I feel worthless. So, thank you Plainview for my family--which is already big-- growing 10x bigger. Who would have known that I had so many moms, brothers, and sisters!

-DV

Thankful from Houston, TX

The Holiday season in Houston brings plenty of unique and quickly moving decorum to the local scene. I'm particularly thankful for the tamales that pop up in nearly every holiday party, and the holiday cookies that only come out of HEB during this time of year. I'm also thankful for the local churches singing carols on sidewalks and by doorposts.The sense of community from my church is warm and we meet more frequently to remind ourselves the reason for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ. There are also many people who volunteer during this time and participate in food drives, and there are many giving hearts of Houstonians willing to donate their time, efforts, and income to alleviate the hardship on the poor. The weather is also amazing in Houston. The humidity lets up for only a few months out of the year and, for those of us who appreciate the facets of hot, less hot, and run-for-decades-because-of-the-lack-of-humidity hot, life is sweeter with a few extra coffees and Mexican chocolates because you don't feel as if you're dying from the sweltering heat when exercising. The Houston Zoo lights are also amazing, and the Houston museums typically host seasonally-specific shows and events. Dickens on the Square is plenty of fun for the locals in Galveston, which takes place only in December when Houstonians can don their favorite Dickens-era clothing. The Alley Theatre (a Tony award-winning group) in Houston's Theater district also performs many Christmas-related plays that are absolutely breathtaking. Improv sketches provide alleviation from the stress of the season and are a favorite amongst many Houstonians. The season is alive in Houston, and is one I am thankful to be able to experience year after year. The Holiday season in this part of Texas is something you'd never forget.

-JE

Thankful from San Antonio, TX

There are so many things to be thankful for nowadays. Where I live, in San Antonio, we like to call it the City of Dreamers. My favorite place here is Martin Luther King Drive that is home to the largest MLK march in the United States. By far the ultimate Dreamer, both he and San Antonio make me very thankful to have grown up in such a diverse and energetic city. I’m thankful for downtown, home of an exclusive creative arts communities filled with poets, writers, actors, and artists. I’m thankful that I’m able to use the passion I have for my city in my writing.

-FR

Thankful from Plano, TX

From just moving to Plano from a small west Texas town, there's so much to be thankful for. I thought I wouldn't be able to handle a job and grad school, but with the help of friends and family I've been able to do both. For that I am, and will be, forever grateful. I love my little family that has grown since I moved here. Friends that have grown into sisters and brothers who surround each other with love and thankfulness.

-MB

Thankful from Austin & Fort Worth, TX

I've got a lot to be thankful for, including the opportunity to lead this awesome team. I'm thankful for my two schools and all the friends I've met at both, as well as the opportunities I've been able to realize at both. I always remain thankful for the peaceful, relaxing, and wildly fun atmosphere in Austin, TX. The live music, incredible food (lookin' at you, Perlas), and so much more make it easy to see why this is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. At the same time, I'll never forget my family and best friends from home in Fort Worth. They've taught me a lot, and helped me grow throughout my life, even to this day. On top of that, my little sister and my lab, Patton. They keep me in line and sane amongst work, school, and the holiday season. Last but not least, I'm thankful for those Dallas Cowboys. #feedthezeke

As you can see, we have a lot to be happy about from Texas, and hopefully you guys can share what makes you happy as well. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Millennials of Texas!

-Stephen Buchanan, Editor-in-Chief

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