Every holiday season most students are able to travel long and short distances to see their families and friends, while others cannot make the trip. From just seven hours away to South Florida to as far as Philadelphia, students make the trek to see their families even if it’s just for a few days.
After the attack on our school, the riots in Ferguson, and deadly Black Friday shopping, we as students – nay, human beings – have come together to say thanks that we were able to see our families again and give our thanks.
We come together to give thanks for being alive, safe, able to see our families unharmed, being able to grab all the items on our black Friday shopping lists, for good health, fat turkeys, grandma’s stuffing, our young nieces and nephews speaking in mostly coherent sentences, our siblings for friendly rivalries, and our parents for supporting us through the best and the worst of times.
While we all wish the Thanksgiving weekend could expand just a few days longer, we all know that we have to pack our bags, and begin the journey back to Tallahassee. To those that stayed in the city, we envy you.
What are we not thankful for? Finals week. Final papers, tests, and the last few classes we have to attend. The last two weeks we have to spend away from our loved ones before winter break frees us from the stresses of the fall semester.
Even though it will only be roughly two weeks before we can all drive as fast as we can back to our cozy homes, the countdown for some has already begun. Plans for holiday trips are in the works, last minute shopping for Christmas and Chanukah are being dreaded, and for those who live in the south, well, they’re preparing for the beaches.
For those who are graduating this semester, we salute you. You made it through undergrad and are now preparing for grad life and post-grad life. We are thankful for our friends who are now preparing for the real world and paving the way for us. Thank you for testing the waters and letting us know the dangers we may face ourselves. No offense to parents that tried offering the same guidance, but it’s 2014, the times have changed, and lets be honest, some of you still struggle with the Internet. We still love you, though.
Let us be thankful for being educated, being able to attend an amazing institution, our professors for pushing us, our parents for also pushing us – literally out the door and to Tallahassee – and let us be thankful to ourselves for persevering through the tough times our university faces, the constant stress of being a fan of FSU football, and to our good sense of judgement for not only applying and being accepted to FSU, but to the friends we chose to make, because are all Seminoles, and we are all one big family.
We are Florida State.