There’s something about being a college student that has taken me from being half-full thankful to overflowing thankful. Maybe it’s the friends I’ve made, the professors I’ve had, or the fact that my family is so far away (which makes seeing them that much more important!) Regardless, I know my experience as a college student has contributed to the gratitude I feel for my parents for providing me with the education and the opportunities Hope provides.
Of course, I’m partially biased here — but I’m in love with everything Hope has to offer. The helpfulness of the professors, the difficulty of classes, friendships; and beyond academics, the most important part of me — my faith — have contributed to finding my passion and purpose in life in the short amount of time I’ve been here.
Although being thankful is naturally amplified at Thanksgiving, I’m thankful year-round for my family. This weekend, they came up to visit me here at Hope and we made the half-hour trek up to the Grand Rapids area to stay with my aunt, uncle, and cousins for the weekend! We had a blast making cookies, eating delicious food, and taking goofy pictures. I also learned how to knit and knitted a whole scarf in one day!
A common theme of my brother, Harrison, and I being together is taking an unbelievable amount of embarrassing “selfies.” I’ve picked out a couple to share. 🙂
Time spent with my family means the most to me. I thought that maybe I would wish I was home with them instead, but I realized that it doesn’t matter where we are as long as we’re together. Cliché, perhaps, but it’s for real. Regardless of where we are, it’s always fun to catch up with what’s happening in our lives.
What are you thankful for? Comment below or tweet at me @hopesophie17. Want to know more about what’s it’s like to be an out-of-state student or just want to hear more about life at Hope? Send me an email at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu.
Happy Thanksgiving weekend!