relflections that are grateful // a guest post by hannah




 [all photos are snapshots from last year's trip]

The little half-a-week road trip we take up to Chicago for Thanksgiving is something that has happened almost every year that I can remember.  And it has honestly gotten to the point that if I was told it wasn’t happening anymore, I’d feel lost.  It’s kind of crazy, and also a bit wonderful, how this tradition in our family has almost become a little source of security for me.  Something that is a constant throughout the years despite all the changes that come with life, and something that I can know will happen this year just like it happened last year and the year before that and all the years before that.  It's what makes traditions beautiful.

I also just happen to love everything about the trip itself.  There’s this thing called chilly weather that is still fresh and exciting and an excuse to dress fuzzily, and not the bane of my existence quite yet.  Then there’s the fact that it’s a holiday essentially focused on good food, and that we make the same delightful turkey stuffing every year from a recipe that somehow no one has quite memorized yet.  I love everyone working together during the day to prepare everything, and eating it in the evening, and that this is when my very small extended family seems biggest and most connected.  Throw in the fact that I really, really like traveling, that Chicago is a brilliant city, and that I practically feel like I’m coming home when I step into my grandpa’s house…and you have yourself one happy and content Hannah.

It’s a little funny, because while Thanksgiving is a holiday about thankfulness, our family rarely discusses the topic of gratitude as we’re cooking, eating, celebrating.  And yet at the same time, it’s the word that best describes how I feel about that week every single year—thankful.  For family and food and road trips and scarves and autumn and school breaks and new adventures and parts of life that growing up doesn’t change.

Happy November, lovelies!

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hey there! My name is Hannah.  I have a thing for chai tea, caribou coffee, cozy articles of clothing, the color yellow, traveling the world, photographs that tell a story, and people who live with purpose.  If you'd like to see more of my photos and words and/or make my day, you can visit me at hannahmagdalene.com. I'd be so happy to see you there!

  
[and speaking of grateful, I am kind of thrilled that Abi asked me to post for her - it is such an honor and joy to use her space to write a little. :) ]

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