This year’s Thanksgiving was rather untraditional for me, as the title suggests. It wasn’t untraditional in the sense that I ate untraditional Thanksgiving food.   Instead of spending the holiday with my biological family, I spent it with my “adopted” family.

Let me explain. I’m not actually adopted.  This year, however, I spent Thanksgiving in Arkansas with my boyfriend, his grandparents, his sister, her boyfriend, and his family. It was a lot of fun; we ate delicious food and had wonderful company.

I was really thankful for this experience, which is fitting, considering it’s Thanksgiving.  I don’t want to turn this into a “typical” post detailing everything I was grateful to have this year, but I don’t see anything wrong with telling people what this year brought me. Sure, you’re supposed to be thankful for everything and everyone in your life every day, but I really like how there’s one day set aside for people to openly express what they’re thankful for. It makes Thanksgiving all the more special.

As for the things I’m thankful for? I’m thankful for all of my long-distance relationships. You learn so much from having them. You become even more grateful and thankful for the people and things you have since they’re so far away now. It’s true when people say you want the things you can’t have. With long-distance relationships, you become grateful for the little time you can have with the people you love.

This year, I’m grateful for the family and friends I was unable to see during Thanksgiving break. Although I was upset that I wouldn’t be able to see them over Thanksgiving, I don’t regret it at all. It makes me appreciate the time I’ll have with them over Winter Break even more so.  It also makes me appreciate the time I was able to spend with my boyfriend and everyone else. I was able to meet new people and try new things. I’m thankful for the wonderful meal I shared with all of these people. I’m thankful for the time I spent in a new place and all of the new experiences.

Sometimes it’s necessary to express everything you’ve been thankful for. I love having a day set aside for exactly that. There’s nothing wrong with thinking about everything you’re thankful for. There’s also nothing wrong with having an untraditional Thanksgiving every once in awhile.

I’m thankful for the experience.  I hope everyone else has something to be thankful for this year, because for me, the things I’m most thankful for are the people I hold dearest to my heart.