What I am thankful for this year

I am a traditionalist, so I enjoy the time-honored tradition of sharing what we’re thankful for at Thanksgiving dinner. I introduced this practice years ago to my immigrant family with high hopes, but found myself somewhat disappointed with the responses. “I’m grateful everybody is healthy,” somebody would say, and most other people would echo the same sentiment. It’s an acceptable answer, I guess, but it’s so boring. 

During the pandemic I e-mailed a modified Thanksgiving prompt to my family, asking people to share “what are you thankful for this year that other people may not know?” To encourage deeper, more personal reflections, I added, “This excludes what we’re of course thankful for: family, health, daily provisions. I would love to hear specific stories for things you’re grateful for, small or big, that I or other people may not know.” It was a small tweak, but it opened the door for more meaningful sharing.

Still, I get it — thinking beyond your typical trite answers takes effort. As a creature of habit myself maybe I should have anticipated that. In my own day-to-day life, I gravitate toward the familiar: I do the same activities (volleyball, board games) with the same people, frequent the same places (LA, or anywhere with volleyball), and eat at the same restaurants (Gochi, Bel Cool) over and over again. This isn’t to say I don’t appreciate trying new things or meeting new people — I do — but as with most things in life (including Thanksgiving reflections), new takes effort, and effort is hard. 

To jog my memory and capture what made 2024 special, I scrolled through my Favorites photo album to compile some highlights:

• Visiting Japan twice, including Hokkaido for the first time
• Traveling to Portland with old friends (our first trip together!)
• Exploring Mexico City for the first time (and eating cockroaches!)
• Hiking Muir Woods for the first time
• Biking Hawk Hill for the first time
• Spending time in LA with both old and new friends
• Celebrating a good friend’s wedding as part of the wedding party
• Hosting new friends at poker nights
• Starting a new job
• Going to a 49er game for the first time
• Playing volleyball with both old and new friends

These moments remind me that even as I lean into familiar routines, the best parts of life often come from stepping just outside them. Whether it’s eating something weird, hiking somewhere new, or simply saying yes to an unfamiliar experience, it’s those moments that make the year stand out.

So this Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for a year that blended the familiar with the new, for the people who made those moments special, and for the reminder that sometimes (or maybe even most times), a little extra effort is worth it.