So I know Thanksgiving was last week already, so this is a little late, but I still wanted to write a little bit about things I'm thankful for. I'm not going to write out a big list of all the obvious (my friends, getting my job, Blair - my cat, etc.) but wanted to one one thing that stand out to me this year - FAMILY.
For Thanksgiving this year, it was the first year that we celebrated without my Dad. He has left Delta/Northwest after 20 years and has started a new job with Airbus. The job has better benefits, includes a payraise, and he gets to keep his flight benefits for our family from Delta. Sounds good, right? Well, the kicker is, it's in Wichita, Kansas. So he's been in France since October, training for this new job, and when he comes back next week, he will be instantly searching for a place to move into in Kansas. Long story short, it sounds like a crazy deal, and it IS crazy - we have no idea what the next few years will be like with this new job - BUT Delta was a crazy employer and there were a lot of issues already. And Delta wanted to move all engineers down to Atlanta in the next couple year anyway, so might as well move to where you're wanted if you have to leave! Anyway, the point IS, I'm really thankful for my Dad, and my whole family, for making these sacrifices. He is a great role model and I hope that someday I can be someone to look up to for my own kids.
We did have a fantastic Thanksgiving, however. My mom, sister, and I drove to a suburb near Chicago to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins for the weekend. Being the spoiled airline family that we are, driving the 8 hours to Chicago was something that we were not at all used to. But we had a great time and a little bit of girl bonding was included in the drive. And when we got to Chicago, we had a fantastic weekend with our family. I hadn't seen that part of our family for about four years, and it's was great to see my youngest cousin grow up into a real lady, and grab the senior photos of her brother, and meet the fiance of my favorite cousin, just a few months younger than me. We spent the trip playing board games, and (of course) eating! Nathan and his fiance Tiffany are getting married in June, so it feels great to know we will be seeing them again in six months. Here's a photo of all the cousins after playing a game of Guesstures.
This has been a seriously crazy year, and my family has been very important to me. From living with my uncle, Scott, when I was up in Vancouver, to relying on my parents for almost every need this summer while I was struggling with finding a job, I have been very fortunate to be surrounded with family who supports and cares for me. Not to mention, my sister is a fantastic friend and an amazing person! So, that's what I'm most thankful for this year.
I'll leave you with a little
something to hum along to while you're trying to stay warm this week. It's definitely getting cold out there! Have a fantastic winter weekend and stay safe, we are supposed to be getting over 5 inches of snow tonight!
Peace, love, and frozen grapes,
A
