Thankful at 30

From the general state of our country, to the election, to rants over Kanye West canceling his tour, Facebook has been filled with more complaints and arguments than gratefulness in this season of Thanksgiving. Thank goodness cat videos still exist or we would have all gone crazy by now.

As for me, I don't get involved in the Facebook arguments, but I've never been one to jump on the daily "today I'm thankful for" train either. It's awesome, but usually I'm more apt to post about needing babysitting jobs or 1,432 photos of my dog or friend's kids in one week. 

2016, though. What a beautiful mess this year has been. The second half of this year has really given me "all of the feels" as they say, and lately I've been waking up with that "attitude of gratitude" daily. These days I literally wake up and smile because I am just that happy.

A couple of months ago I was at the tail end of a hot mess summer. I was getting my life together after a big change rocked me to the core and forced me to reevaluate and restart. They say hindsight is 20/20, and I've always found this to be true, but even more so now. 

Where am I now, then? I'm living in an apartment with the cutest little pup Craigslist could have given me. I'm dating an incredible (really, he's so incredible) man who treats me better than I've ever been treated. I'm spending more quality time with my friends and less money on trivial things. I’m loving on the cutest kids around. I'm volunteering at church and I'm making new friends. I'm sitting at work the day before Thanksgiving and a week before my 30th birthday and I am happier than I've been in a long time. I'm myself again.

I'm thankful this week for a lot of things, but most of all, thankful that I'm not where I thought I'd be right now. 

Here comes turkey and here comes 30.

Thanks for being a part of my life, ya'll.