Christmas Trees Chuck Palahniuk novels Live music Spotify Jello Mom's homemade mashed potatoes Late nights watching How I Met Your Mother with Delia The Thanksgiving Day Parade Considering myself a part of two of the most beautiful cities in existence Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church Doctor Who How Dad never complains about picking me up from the city That Sandy killed my backyard but left my house and family in perfect health The incredible amount of support I've had from countless friends and family lately Starbucks Gustav, the most beautiful bass I could have asked for Halloween candy Being a part of Company Every tiny, insignificant thing about Northeastern That I didn't make the kick line team in ninth grade and became a music kid instead Slippers My adorable little cousins The advice and guidance from my older cousins Skiing Drummers Flat irons Shredded cheese Harry Potter books That of all thirteen schools I applied to, I ended up at Northeastern University Husky Hunt Crepes The Pep Band Nutella Northeastern Hockey Games That Nonni and Nonno and Grandma Mary are healthy and happy as ever Lifeteen Seinfeld e.e. cummings poetry Cozy sweatshirts The friends who hugged me when I cried at the cemetery yesterday Buona Sera garlic knots That Alice in Wonderland exists Musicals in and about New York City My correctly aligned jaw That my parents met and fell in love and got married and had me to begin with That Laura is so accommodating about my messiness and wacky music schedule Wedges and high heels That 2 am no-boundaries conversation with Meredith the other night Chinese food Bruce Springsteen music Nerdfighter culture New York pizza Being Italian That Eric texts me goodnight, every night That I loved Smithtown High School West so much Pit orchestras Flip Flops Breaking Amish Aunt Grace and Uncle Kenny, my godparents That Chris, Charlie, Peter, Lauren V, Lauren B, Laura, Ryan, Sarah, Andy, Harrison, and Alfred came to see and hear me in Company Blogger Disney magic That Chris would rather spend three hours tutoring me in Stats than be bored while I spend one hour at the professor's Office Hours Yearbooks Everything I learned from Aunt Maria while she fought cancer Billy Joel Mr. Nolan's English class EVERYTHING from the Romantic Era Easter eggs That I could have made things work at any university, but that things just work beautifully at Northeastern Delia's dance recitals Andy's unbiased and unabashed honesty and advice That Christie, Brianna, and Alissa are at Northeastern too David Tennant My beautiful and sexy 616 apartment and even sexier roommates That Alaric gives the best hugs known to humankind Orange soda How beautiful everything looks when it's snowing Holiday decorations That Mom cares enough to bug me for every detail of my life That I've had my heart broken so few times The unfathomable potential of every human being Board games Chick flicks My room at home All the wonderful things Sarah bakes The picture perfect memories from the Last Day of High School, Prom, and Graduation That there's never been anything I can't confide in my sister J.K. Rowling's entire life Crappy magazines like Rolling Stone and Cosmo Cheesy flamingo memorabilia Woodloch Pines My fairy-tale Sweet Sixteen and all the amazing things I learned from having it That Lauren Bell never gets annoyed at me for asking for Accounting help Husky Hunt the second time around That Dad was so thoughtful to pick me up a 7-11 coffee this morning Cinnabons June Claire Dance Centers That even though we're stressed like crazy getting ready to have 18 guests over, we do have 18 happy and healthy guests we love and can't wait to see Wicked the musical, but also the book because it gave someone the idea for the musical That Lauren V is always telling me how fantastic and perfect we all are That Nothing Changes That I have the two legs, feet, arms, hands, ears, and eyes; ten fingers and toes; and a nose, mouth, and brain that God gave me to appreciate the world with Finnish power metal Mark Twain's writing Tampons Eye lash curlers Converse sneakers Facebook That Shannon visits so often even though she doesn't live with us That Ginger could come to both my and my sister's Sweet Sixteen When Mom gives me a back scratch Harry Potter World What the Pluck?! Living next door to the Geriens Marshall Half Stacks That one time I got to play a Juzek bass in a hole-in-the-wall jazz shop IV Dining hall pizza Elevators, ramps, the wheels on my bass case, and all the sympathetic people that hold the door open Eleven years of bus rides with Jacqui Stetson East cookies Every piece of music I've ever listened to and every piece that's waiting to be heard That I have a bed to sleep in every night Books and sheet music that smell old Paws the Husky That my family misses me when I'm gone, and that I miss them too Fourth of July Fireworks Italian ices Everything that's caramel-flavored Music Too many perfect Blue Flamingo vacations to count Rebecca's Cafe brunches with Christie That Northeastern's campus is so beautiful, especially for a city school The Charles River That picture-perfect moment when Train was singing "Drops of Jupiter" and I was standing alone in the rain The sights, sounds, odds, ends, and quirks of New York City Every confused morning when the story of last night gets told to me That Marianna is only ever a text away when I need her That Delia asked me to be her sponsor Twitter Stephen Sondheim That Uncle Vic married Aunt Terry Apple picking as a family tradition Woodloch crumb cake That so many people cared enough to check on me this summer when my jaw was banded shut That my jaw was banded shut and my liquid diet lost me fifteen pounds Rubber ducks Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The fantastic family vacations Mom and Dad work so hard to take us on That I had my nineteenth birthday this year 102.3 WBAB My mac Grimm, Perrault, and Andersen fairy tales That Gustav and I played at Staller Center, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center together Sade, my creamsicle colored bass guitar That Delia still asks for my help picking out outfits My crazy curly hair Secret brand deodorant Aerie underwear Glitter glue That I'm part of the Honors Program at such a good school in such a wonderful city Rebecca's Cafe sandwiches My job at Au Bon Pain That I'm so in love with my major, literally every day of my life The bright walls in my room The Cousins Day we had at Lorella, Danielle, Bob, and Justin's this summer Those vacations we took to Montauk with Aunt Angela, Uncle Mario, Marianna, and Alessia all those years ago That Nonni and Nonno care about their time and resource-consuming grandkids as much as they do All the Tooth Fairy, Easter bunny, and Santa Claus stories Mom and Dad fabricated so well for us Cursive handwriting That I was School President in fifth grade That Mr. Roth, my middle school orchestra teacher, had such a positive influence on my appreciation for music The Smithtown West Music Department family That the twelve basses I was Section Leader to still call me Mom Old photos The Doll House Nonno made for me and Deels That Nonni taught me how to sew Grilled cheese sandwiches Leonardo DiCaprio movies All the hours they tolerate my presence in the Duplex All the classy literature and art and music Danielle and I obsess over Everything I learned my freshman year of college; in the classroom, about life, and about myself The entertaining antics of Alfred and Harrison My friendship with Mary, even if it's so much more difficult to maintain since she moved to North Carolina seven years ago Sweet Sixteen Season My twin, Brian Thelemon-scented candle Mrs. Ralph bought me The purple V neck that Richie wears That Brianna, Rebecca, Danielle, and Sean called to check on me last Thursday Ms. Riccoboni's Italian class Winky, my little Nissan Altima that's as old as I am Springy beds Fan fiction Bananas That Mike is so good at pestering me to keep in touch with him Family Gatherings on every Holiday we can Lindt chocolate New York bagels Becca-Brina Christmases That Tasha was an awesome freshman year roommate The Blue Flamingo Tradition The Northeastern bass family: Peter, Colin, Jason, and me Cold weather That Lauren kept me company when I sadly and slowly packed up my life in 933 IV last April That Rebecca knows how much I love and need her, even when I'm God awful at keeping in touch That Deels and Alex became friends, and then so did Sarah and I over a Play-Doh bakery in fourth grade That Kimmie and I grew a beautiful friendship out of seeing each other once a week at tap class Rod McKuen's writing That Alyssa lived around the block from me in Kindergarten Sudoku Carlsson bass rosin Centennial Quad How beautiful and quirky Beacon Hill is New England Clam Chowder The memory of Deels and I staring jaw-dropped at each other when Daniel Radcliffe got hoisted into the air for the Opening scene of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Condiments with Joanna The Port Jeff ferry Huntington Avenue Upton Basses in Mystic, Connecticut Diaries My signed copy of Diary, the book Reeds from Palm Sunday Northeastern's Husky Hockey team and the hot hockey players How beautiful Boston is The T The way Rebecca and Mike wiped away the tears during our last Adoration together The fantastic inside jokes Paige and Danielle and I had in Mr. (CrapICan'tRemeberHisName)'s AP Euro class Tenth Grade Harry Potter as a cultural phenomenon Eoin Colfer and the Artemis Fowl series Gas stations Vanity Plates Paved roads That I've never had to go hungry Charities The BSO and Boston Pops The Lilac-themed tea house Brian and I went to for lunch one time The feeling of being a Goddess when you shave your legs The color of Dan Frank's hair at prom The Lifeteen Core that still inspire me The amazing evening the five of us girls saw Legally Blonde together That there's a Heaven waiting for all the loved ones I've lost Rosaries That Aunt Maria, Aunt Ruth, Uncle George, Grandpa Ken, and Katie will always be a part of me on some level The feeling of being hugged by someone who loves you The number of family members and friends I love and who love me back The way two people's faces light up when they see each other after a long time apart All the things I take for granted Every kind of love
And most importantly, I'm thankful for everyone I've ever met because whether you suspect it or not, you've influenced me along the way to becoming the person I am today. I can't thank you enough for helping me into living the life I do.
Thank you.
