Everyday I wake up and I am thankful. I’m thankful for the roof over my head, the food I eat and the opportunities I have been given. However, there are so many other things that I am blessed with, but don’t verbalize my gratitude for enough. Around this time of year, I find myself taking a step back and thinking about what I truly cherish the most.

I am thankful for my family.

On my best days, you are standing right beside me, and on my worst days, you pick up my broken pieces. You encourage me to be the best version of myself, and you help me along the way to get there. You never allow me to feel like anything less than a success, even when I feel like a failure. You never let a day go by without reminding me how much I am loved. I would not be who I am today without the support and guidance you give me every single day.

I am thankful for my friends.

You bring out the best in me. Every day is a good day because I have you all in my life. I know that I am never alone through my journey, and I couldn’t imagine one step along the way without you. I never thought I would get so lucky to have such incredible people in my life. Thank you for being my rocks. Thank you for being my backbone and my biggest fans. Thank you for being you, because without you, a huge part of me would be missing.

I am thankful for my achievements.

I am thankful for every opportunity that I have been given and for every chance I have taken. These are the things that have led me to where I am today. I am thankful for every decision I was scared to make, because it led me to something bigger than I could have ever imagined. I am thankful for every moment of serendipity I have encountered so far in my life.

I am thankful for my struggles.

I am thankful that I have made the wrong decision. I am thankful for the roadblocks and wrong turns. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and the things that pull you back in life launch you into something so much greater.

I am thankful for what is coming next.

I don’t know what life has in store for me. I don’t know where I am going to end up after college. I don’t know where I will live or who I will meet, but I am excited to find out. I am excited for the unknown and for the next chapter of my life.