I am thankful for …

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It’s the time when I get to come home from wherever I am, and spend precious moments with my parents, my brother, my gorgeous little niece, and my friends from childhood and beyond.

It’s the time of year when I bundle up and head East to breathe that icy air into my lungs so deep it hurts. It’s the time of year when Mom and I hit the shopping mall to take advantage of those Black Friday deals, and I always swear through clenched teeth I will never participate in another Black Friday shopping experience again.

But, more than anything else, Thanksgiving is a time of year where I relish those special moments I have with the people I love. Where I give thanks for the years of blessings I have had, and look forward to the next year of blessings.

In honor of my favorite holiday, I am going to take a break from the grind. I am going to actually take some time for myself and not write, not post, not do anything but be in the present for the next few days.

So, enjoy Thanksgiving if you are in America. Hug your family tighter. Spend an extra few minutes at the dinner table sharing stories. Be sure to tell the people you love that you love them and are thankful for them.

And, if you need a breather from family time, or whatever, here are some of my favorite posts that highlight moments in my life I am so thankful to have experienced.

Instantanoues Enlightenment on the Adriatic — what happens when you meet someone who changes your life forever?

Traveling the World to Say ‘Thank You’ — tracking down that someone who changed my life, to tell him he changed my life. Spoiler: it ends with a kiss.

I’ve Always Relied on the Kindness of Strangers — finding the beauty in getting lost in a foreign country.

I Blame My Blog … and Twitter — this new family I have is amazing!

‘Twas the Nigh Before London — sometimes the hardest things in life are the best … and lead you to a better place (like traveling the world)

Love, life and loss … while on the road — words could never do justice for how thankful I am for my grandmother and her endless love and support. My cheerleader. My biggest supporter. My inspiration to write my book.

Escape of the Week: Birds on A Wire — HOME. My family. My friends. Sometimes, that’s all you need to make everything better.

See you next week, when I’m back in the desert.

Happy Thanksgiving! Eat until you have to unbutton that top button!