You only live once, that's the motto...

It's been a very very busy November, and it's crazy to think it's almost over!!! School has been at full speed, and I finally have a little bit of a break (and by little bit of a break, I mean I don't have exams until finals in ~3 weeks). So, on this wonderful fall/winter day, I thought I'd blog about my favorite upcoming holiday! No, I'm not talking about Christmas... I'm talking about:

THANKSGIVING! 

Everyone starts getting ready for Christmas earlier and earlier. It used to be that after Thanksgiving, it was acceptable to do that. Now Christmas merchandise is out in stores before Halloween is over. Such a tragedy.

Thanksgiving is seriously my favorite holiday of the year. Pretty much the only major US holiday that has not caved into consumerism. Yes, you have to buy the food, but compare it to Christmas, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, etc. Thanksgiving is one of the only "pure" holidays we have left... hence why it is my favorite!

Traditionally, I have 2 Thanksgiving dinners, one for lunch and one for dinner. Lunch is with my mom's side of the family, and dinner is with my dad's side of the family. There's a HUGE turkey, mashed potatoes, cheesy potatoes, green beans, dressing/stuffing, chicken'n'dumplings, mac'n'cheese, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, rolls, pies, etc. Just any kind of food that you love, it's there in huge portions. After the lunch one, the women sit and talk and look through old pictures, while the men go downstairs to watch football and fall asleep.

But, while Thanksgiving has all that yummy food, the real reason I love this holiday the most is because we all remember who and what we are thankful for in our lives. It's more of the who than the what, but the fact that we reflect and see what is important to us is the reason that this holiday ranks above all others. At the end of the day, we have to be thankful for all the good that is in our lives. I'm always thankful for my wonderful family and the best friends I could ask for. I'm thankful for my health, my opportunities that have come my way, and every day I'm here on this earth. I know the last one sounds a little bit sappy, but it's so true that you never know when a person's last day is. So why not live every day to the fullest, and be thankful for each and every day?

Which now transitions (quite nicely, I might add) to the title of this blog post. "You only live once, that's the motto..." If you know me, you know I love all music I can dance to. I also have an affinity for hip hop and R&B music. Drake is one of my favorite R&B artists, and his newest album, Take Care, just came out a couple of days ago.

I must say, I LOVE IT. It's funny, though. My favorite song is one that only showed up on the deluxe version, called the The Motto (f. Lil Wayne). The song has a great beat, and the main line I LOVE is that one in the title. You really only do live once, and you better remember that, and use that motivation to make the most of your time on this earth. 

I hope you check out the new album, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving (countdown: 5 days!!!!!!) with loved ones (whomever that means you spend it with). Remember to give thanks for everything that has gotten you to where and who you are today, and plan for the future, because you do only live once.

Back to chemistry, with some serenading from Drake :)