A stuffed turkey fresh out of the oven. Steaming green beans garnished in garlic. Creamy mashed potatoes overflowing with gravy. Golden bread rolls rest besides heaping platters of stuffing. For most people, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family from far and wide and recount all that you are thankful for. And this year, junior Dru Fairley has much to be thankful for. 

Fairley is excited to resume Thanksgiving, picking up where it left off in 2019. This year she will be celebrating at a family friends’ home. 

“I have been going to [my family friend’s] house for eight years and it is my favorite thing,” Fairley said. “Last year we didn’t go because of Covid-19, [so] this year will be different.”

This Thanksgiving is extra special for Austin Smith, English EL teacher and assistant coordinator at the Titan Learning Center, because Smith will be celebrating with a new family member. 

“This is the first year we’ll be a family of three,” Smith said. “Our daughter’s 2-months-old, so we have that to be thankful for. There might be more reflecting on what we are thankful for and [being] more appreciative of our family relationships.”

 Senior Veronika Gliwa’s Thanksgiving plans will look smaller this year than previous years. Most of her family will not be coming into town, so she will be spending it with her immediate family. 

“This year I’m going to spend time with my closest family members as well as whoever’s in town or whoever lives nearby,” Gliwa explained. 

After two years of dealing with a global pandemic and being cooped up at home, Gliwa said she has much to be thankful for, including her own family. 

“I’m thankful for opportunities that I’ve been given throughout my life by my parents and my family,” Gliwa said. “I’ve realized that as I’ve been applying to colleges. A lot of what I have accomplished I would not have been able to do if it weren’t for things like music lessons, art lessons, and all that.” 

College application deadlines are on the minds of many seniors, including Gliwa, who applied to 16 colleges this fall. The stress from applications took a toll on Gliwa, who noticed how different Thanksgiving will be this year. 

“I find that so far this month, I’ve been enjoying things a little less,” Gliwa said. “Just the other day I realized, ‘Oh, the leaves started changing colors’ and I didn’t realize that before because I’ve been so preoccupied with other things [and] I haven’t taken the time to notice [the] small things.”

This Thanksgiving Smith advised everyone to remember to slow down and breathe. 

“I’ve been telling my students recently don’t forget to watch the leaves change,’” Smith shared. “Figure out what matters to you most and do your best to balance that. But while you’re engaged with everything, don’t forget to take that second to stop and observe those leaves falling off the trees.”