In the great outdoors.

I'm grateful for family, in all of its forms. For friends who are comfortable with fireside flatulents, willing to drive so many hours just to sleep on the ground and skip showers. For technology that lets me make my nephew laugh from 1200 miles away, and see how silly my niece is and what her latest favorite My Little Pony dance is and hear the lilt of my mom's accent while watching her look through the bottoms of her bifocals at me.

I'm grateful for feeling at home again and for not having to wait too long in between. For unexpected visits from good friends, long meals, and too many drinks. For such a good job that includes dental insurance and financial stability (finally, finally). Mostly I'm thankful for all of this, the constant motion, the ebb and the flow, of life torn a bit at the edges, lived and worn like a favorite book, an old sweatshirt.