What I am Grateful for this Year

I am grateful that for the first time in my life I felt a twinge of patriotism and real hope for the future of this country.

I am grateful that when there is injustice, thousands of Angelenos are willing to take to the streets, protest, raise funds, and make their voices be heard. And that they will continue to do so until there truly is equality in this land.

I am grateful that I have been able to see vast expanses of unspoiled nature, deserted beaches, endless treelines, untouched rivers and awe-inspiring mountains. There are still places that are wild and untamed, and people fighting to keep them that way.

I am grateful that my family is currently growing instead of shrinking and that we will welcome a new family member at the table this year.

I am grateful that in spite of being 70-ish, my mother not only has her wits about her, but is active enough to helicopter up to a glacier in Alaska to go dogsledding.

I am grateful that because of LAist I have been in amazing situations like finally meeting Alice Cooper, photographing Pete Townshend and Billy Gibbons, joking around with Roger Daltrey, lunching with Pat Boone, and rescuing baby sea turtles in Baja with ASUPMATOMA. LAist has inspired me to get out there and see more of the art, plays and performances Los Angeles has to offer. This blog and its readers have finally made me feel like I have a connection to this city, and that I am a part of something bigger.

My mom in Alaska / Photo by Elise Thompson