It's the last day of November, which means Christmas month officially starts tomorrow!
One of my favorite things about winter is snowboarding. I don't usually get to go as much as I'd like but when I do go, it's awesome (I meant to do this post a couple days ago because I went with my family to Winterpark on Saturday, and we had a blast). Now, being from southern California, I don't really like cold weather, but something about being in the mountains when it's cold and snowing just feels right.
I really enjoyed doing my little Thanksgiving segment, so I think I'm going to try another until Christmas (might not be everyday though: finals, traveling...you get my drift). I'm thinking about just posting fun Holiday/winter/seasonal things each day while the countdown rolls on.
Today? CHRISTMAS MUSIC. It's finally that day of the year where it is acceptable to play Christmas music without people getting annoyed or shooting you weird looks (well, they still might get annoyed, but they aren't allowed to say anything about it starting the day after Thanksgiving). You only get about one month out of every year to listen to it so you gotta enjoy it while it lasts!
My mom and I made 7 CD's worth of Christmas music for the holidays and I have too many favorites to list. But side note: I love classical choral Christmas music. I think it's so beautiful and I grew up singing it and listening to it so I really appreciate it. Moving on though...
Probably my favorite Christmas song ever is "Christmas Time is Here" by Vince Guaraldi Trio, you know, from A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's so beautiful and just the epitome of the Holidays to me (plus this movie is just the greatest). Enjoy.
Today is Thanksgiving, and I have so many things to be thankful for. Most importantly today, the people I love. I am thankful everyday for my family and friends who support me and travel with me through this crazy life. It's important to stop and acknowledge everything there is to be thankful for, and I have so much.
So, dearest loved ones, I leave you with this Thanksgiving message:
Today, on this Thanksgiving eve, I am thankful for music.So much music. Life is better with music. It gets me through good times, bad times, hard times, fun times. It jogs memories and creates memories. I'm thankful for music that moves my soul or speaks to me on the deepest level. For music that makes me want to dance or sing at the top of my lungs. The music that inspires me to write or the music that makes me want to share with everyone I know. I'm thankful that it has been such a passion in my life since an early age and that I can appreciate all different kinds.
Life would be nothing without it.
[Because these kids are incredible and SO inspiring with their passion for music]
Today I am thankful for my freedoms. For the fact that I can say what I want, dress how I want, love who I choose, express myself the way I like, and be who I choose to be. I am thankful that I live in a place where I have the opportunity to study at the collegiate level, speak my mind, vote, and have a voice in society. I am free to be who I am and do what I want and make my own decisions. These freedoms are too often taken for granted, but I appreciate them and am thankful everyday that I have these rights.
Today I am thankful for Brianna Swain. I miss her very much every day. I am thankful that she was a part of my life, and I a part of hers. She has taught me so much about life, in ways she'll never know. She taught me to be grateful and to have no regrets. To live life to the fullest, cherish my relationships, and to appreciate time and memories with people you care about. I'm thankful for the relationship we had, even with the ups and downs.
Today I am thankful for YOU, readers. It makes me so happy to know that people take the time to look at my blog and keep up with it. I appreciate YOU, for making me feel special and for supporting me with something I love and am passionate about. You'll never know how much it means.
