Sometimes, it’s hard to be thankful when we have a lot going on. This week alone has been filled with crazy weather and intense deadlines for everyone here at ASU. Despite these circumstances, it’s important to step back and remember why Appalachian is such an amazing school. So here are some things you should be thankful for this Thanksgiving:
#1: Stunning Scenery
Let’s face it. Most students in North Carolina don’t have scenery like we do. We are beyond lucky to be surrounded by these beautiful mountains. If you get tired of watching the football game, you can just gaze at the gorgeous mountains that encircle the campus. The only one downside to living on a mountain is all the walking over said mountain, but that’s a small price to pay for the scenery we are surrounded by. Besides, all the uphill walking helps get our legs into shape!
#2: Outdoor Opportunities
Appalachian students have the opportunity to take skiing and snowboarding as class. UNC-Chapel Hill offers a skiing class but they only go skiing once during the semester. The rest of the course is filled with instruction videos. (Boring!) Appalachian students actually get to get out there and take advantage of the great location. In addition to cool classes like skiing and snowboarding being offered, almost all App students can recite the names of good places to hike or rock climb around Boone.
#3: Beautiful Boone
Boone is the cutest town ever (although that might be my completely biased opinion) but honestly though, Boone has much character and personality. The boutiques on King Street allow girls to feel chic in a unique article of clothing, thanks to stores like Lucky Penny. There are so many one of kind restaurants such as Boone Drug Store (the grilled cheese bacon sandwich is to die for) and Los (Yes, it is better than Dos).
#4: Mountain Men
Most schools are seeing men sport their facial hair proudly during No-Shave November but App girls are used to the rugged mountain beard all year long. Mountain men aren’t just rugged individuals with a great beard; they often have killer bodies because of all the rock climbing they do.
#5: Winter Wear
It’s not a secret that Boone gets cold. However, sometimes the cold can work to our advantage. It naturally gives us rosy cheeks so we don’t have to wear about putting on blush. More importantly, it gives us the chance to wear boots, scarves, pea coats and hats as much as possible. Take advantage of the cold weather to give yourself that excuse you’ve needed to buy your ninth pair of boots. Feel free to send your parents links to scarves for potential Christmas gifts.
It might be hard to be thankful to be a student at Appalachian (especially in the middle of a blizzard when you’re on your way to class) but above all, App really does give us “mountains of opportunities” and it’s important to keep that in mind when dealing with the crazy, unexpected things we get as App students.