In Focus

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope your holiday is filled with fun, laughter, and safety!

Travel for this Thanksgiving is expected to be the highest in 15 years. The Transportation Security Administration anticipates screening nearly 18 million people from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Tuesday after the holiday, while the Federal Aviation Administration projects this will be the busiest Thanksgiving for flights in at least 15 years. However, most people will be traveling by car. The American Automobile Association estimates that approximately 81.8 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving holiday period.

Sunday is predicted to be the busiest travel day, so if you’re taking a vehicle, it might be wiser to leave a day earlier or later. Be cautious of the weather; since we haven’t had any snow recently, you may need a refresher on how to drive in winter conditions. Be sure to give yourself extra time.

Although Thanksgiving may not be the biggest holiday in my household, I still have many things to be thankful for this year:

I’m thankful that my mother’s lung cancer is still in remission.

I’m grateful for my wonderful boyfriend, who, after 10 months, still hasn’t shown any red flags. I think I’ll keep him around!

I appreciate my book club and the great camaraderie and fun we have every month, whether it’s just three of us or eight. I’m thankful to be a part of it!

I’m grateful for my neighbors who have helped my mom with errands and appointments when I’m not available. They are truly the best neighbors I’ve ever had.

I’m thankful for my fantastic coworkers who are an absolute joy to work with. My boss is great too, even if I joke about it!

Finally, I’m thankful for this fulfilling job and for all of you who keep me informed about events and story ideas, helping to keep our small-town paper full of local news.