Now that Thanksgiving is a few days away, it’s time to start thinking about what to say when asked the unavoidable question at the dinner table, “what are you thankful for?” I kid – hopefully you think about this more often than at you Thanksgiving meal, but regardless, it’s nice to have November dedicated as a time to think about these things and hopefully celebrate them.

I’ve realized that the things you’re thankful for don’t have to be groundbreaking or something that ups the person in front of you. They can be small, seemingly invisible things. In fact, I almost think it’s better that way. The little things are rarely celebrated as often as they should be. Why not use this time to celebrate them?

Without further ado, here are a few things the Thanksgiving season has me thankful for this year.

I am thankful for the closeness of my family…

I know, family is likely the number one response to that question, followed closely by friends, significant others, and furry pets. I’m taking it a step further this year and am specifically thankful for how close my family is. We’re able to talk about a number of things and are constantly seeking advice or perspective from each other. It’s nice to know I have a network of people looking out for what’s best for me, and always willing to share their opinion on how to get there (sometimes without even asking).

I am thankful for Trader Joe’s…

I told you these all don’t have to be serious things. Though my love for all things Trader Joe’s is pretty serious. This store isn’t extremely close to my apartment, but on a nice day, it forces me to get out and walk there, and serves as a great use of my time. Each time I’m there I tend to find something new and usually, it’s something pretty healthy. (Not counting the peppermint white chocolate covered pretzel chips I found last time.) Trader Joe’s helps me to get a bit more creative in the kitchen and encourages me to stray from my tried and true routine meals.

I am thankful for the memories made with Buddy…

Bud the Stud

Lots of times, you realize the closeness of your family when going through an unfortunate experience. For us, this year that was the loss of our 15 and a half year old dog, Buddy. Immediately after going through what was easily one of the hardest things each of us has ever had to do, we all said we didn’t think we could get another dog, simply because of the ultimate fate. In the coming weeks, though, countless memories of Bud the Stud were shared and we all realized how lucky we were to have him in our lives. That feeling wouldn’t exist if we had never gotten a dog, and I’m beyond thankful for the memories we made with him. He’s set the bar high for all a pet can be.

I am thankful for an in unit washer and dryer…

Maybe I say this because today was a Great Laundry Day for me, but I really am thankful for having an in unit washer and dryer. Knowing myself and my dislike for all things cold, I truly cannot picture myself walking outside with piles of laundry in anything less than 40 degrees. Now, I have absolutely no excuse and am able to revel in plenty of clean clothes at all times. A very first world thing to be thankful for, but it’s all about celebrating the often un-celebrated.

I am thankful for work…

Parisian views.

This one may be a bit cliche, too, but it doesn’t mean I’m not thankful for it. This year I was able to travel to Europe and buy however many pointless Trader Joe’s snacks my heart desired. That’s not because I discovered a pile of money all on my own. I’m thankful to have a job that helps to fund the life I like to live. It also helped my family go on a trip to California for much less. I was able to use the miles I have from traveling for work to fund a few of the flights. And, my boyfriend was able to use miles from his past job for our European flights. So really, I am very thankful for work this year, and how it allowed me to travel.

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There are plenty of other things that could have made this list, but I will spare you the laundry list. What are you thankful for?