A day of blessings and thanks. A time for family and friends.

Thanksgiving has been known to be the feast of feasts, a day in the year where family gets together and enjoys a holiday meal written in thanks and grace. I’ve come to know this day as my favorite holiday, because it brings with it the presence of joy in my life. To get with family and friends for one day and celebrate the good things and what we are thankful for. This has been a tradition I have never forgotten. 

I remember the long car rides from Colorado to Texas each year to get with my long distance family and get caught up. The length of the drive was always the best part before the greeting. It was always a fun time to play games in the back seat as my parents drove over the state borders, from Colorado to New Mexico to Texas. And it never got old. As a survey by Bagsaway Passport shows, 56% of all Americans travel over the holiday break to meet with families and have thanksgiving. 

I always found that traveling during this season was the best part of the holiday break. Getting out of school and almost immediately hopping in the car to drive out. However, looking back on the miles put between me and the rest of my family, I was glad to move back to Texas. Though the drive was nice and took forever, it was also always a lengthy reminder of where exactly I was in comparison to the rest of my family. It really showed me the opportunity the holiday gave me to be with them, even if it was for just a day or two. 

This holiday season, I’m excited to be back with my family here in Texas, but I do miss the fourteen-hour drive. As most families leave to go to other states and enjoy the break, I find a hint of jealousy in the traveling despite the closeness of me to my relatives now.  Traveling was always a good part of my break, yet even without it, the anticipation and excitement is still bubbling up inside me.