Another day of Thanks

What am I thankful for this year?

-Having a family that supports me and loves me, in spite of my constant struggles to find my... niche. We're all grown-ups now, and it's come to the point where I've accepted that I can never be like them. I can only be myself and keep that fun-loving kid in me going strong.

-That I have met some awesome people this year who value my skills and my job experiences, and don't see me as just an employee. It's amazing how at this age, I still carry so much insecurity... but being employed in two different places, where I get to move around and meet so many young people in the same shoes I'm in has given me incredible perspective. We're all trying to make it in this economy, we're all trying to be somebody, and we're all working for a better day.

-My health. Not having insurance is a scary thing, and thank goodness that (knock on wood!) nothing serious has occurred to me this past year. I did get strep for the first time - twice - and I had my first visit to a chiropractor to finally get some advice for my constantly-stiff back.

-My dedication to running and staying in shape. I've run two 5ks and a 10k so far! Running races once sounded so intimidating, but I actually pushed myself to sign up for one back in July, and I haven't stopped running since then. I love the view of the Chicago skyline while I run along the lake. It'll be strange running indoors once the snow comes in, though.

-My love for writing. I'm 30,000 words in for NaNoWriMo this year, and even though I have only 6 more days to make my 50,000 goal... I'm still so proud of the fact that I've made it this far. I've realized that before anything else, I love being a story-teller. I'm trying to get more into comedy and screen-writing for some potential doors in the film/animation world, and I actually wrote my first children's book! =) Words make me happy.

-The fact that I attempted to follow an artistic dream, and worked so hard to improve my skills, along the way realizing the things I liked and disliked about the animation industry. I'm still consider myself an artist by the way I imagine things and put together ideas through any artistic medium. I know I want to be able to have creative growth in whatever career I pursue. I wouldn't have learned that without doing what I did in art school.