Sore feet, bulging stomach, exhaustion after Grandma’s thorough interrogation, and a sense of complete and utter satisfaction with life. Must mean it’s Thanksgiving! Or at least it was a week ago, during a much-needed Thanksgiving break. After being coerced into running the 10k for our Run to Feed the Hungry, I definitely took advantage of our family potluck this Thanksgiving. However, guilt over appreciating the holiday’s food over its purpose (which is apparently giving thanks-not gorging yourself, who knew?!) prompted me to take a moment to think about all the blessings in my life. So here is a list of 30 Pomona and non-Pomona things I am grateful in this moment.
1. Never having to suffer anything less than 60 degrees. Seriously. My Dartmouth friend keeps snapchatting me scenes of frozen tundras that are supposed to be her school grounds while I’m lazing around in shorts.
2. Challah (flavor of the week is Nutella, YAAAS).
3. Having 8 dining halls. And just food in general.
4. Family. They’re all so lovable and weird, (which is probably why we get along so well).
5. The kind and helpful souls at the Career Development Office. I was still whipping out cover letters the day PCIP applications were due, (right before Thanksgiving in fact), and someone would always immediately respond to all my needy, frantic emails.
6. My health (ignoring the soreness that ensued after my 10k).
7. The happiness and health of my family. I cannot stress enough how much they mean to me. To see my brother smiling and being able to goof off with me over break made my heart soar.
8. Benedict Cumberbatch. Oh that beautiful man.
9. Cuddling up in my covers and binging on Netflix. (Friends is supposedly joining the Netflix selection in 2015, so don’t plan on seeing me come out of my cave for a couple days this January).
10. FOOD (it must be mentioned again).
11. Being inspired by the people I see everyday.
12. My team. The most inspiring, ambitious, fun, earnest, enjoyable, clever, incredible group of individuals I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a pool with.
13. Hugs.
14. That Christmas is coming!
15. That view of Marston quad at sunset with Carnegie in the distance and the sunlight peaking through the trees. And being able to take the time to appreciate it.
16. Fuzzy socks.
17. Cats.
18. My one-eyed, diabetic, 13-year-old cat that’s still kicking. She’s so cute and she drools when she’s really happy.
19. The fact/rumor that Oldenborg was purposefully designed to confuse and get students lost. This was supposedly to make it harder for students to organize protests during the turbulent times known as the 60’s. Knowing there’s a chance that the Borg was created to be intentionally confusing makes me feel better about getting lost on the way to my room.
20. Naps and my newfound ability to capitalize on the 20 minute power nap.
21. Watching my friends try to recover from spilling water or food all over themselves after laughing so hard.
22. The fact that my friend spilled chocolate milk over himself and the table he was sitting at the other day.
23. The fact that he was sitting at a table with my professor and she told me about it the next day.
24. All of our brilliant Pomona professors.
25. The wonderful staff at Frank that always wish you a splendid day and give you hope for the human race.
26. The Harry-Potter-esque feel of Frary dining hall. Plus Frary’s emasculated Prometheus mural that makes me laugh every time I see it.
27. Yule Ball (it’s a thing here and I am so excited for it).
28. Acapella. We have so many talented voices in Claremont and, although they pale in comparison to my performances in the shower, they put on quite the amazing show.
29. Old friends, new friends, and future friends.
30. The little joys in life. The list of things that make me smile, make me laugh, and touch my heart. The list that goes on longer than a Lord of the Rings book and brings me excitement every day.
Now what are you thankful for?
Swimcerely,
Kyra