With Thanksgiving growing in popularity in the UK every year, I teamed up with Ocean Finance who are running a thanksgiving campaign to get people to appreciate what they have and be thankful for the things that provide positivity in their life. I thought this was a really lovely campaign because I find that sometimes I speed through life at a hundred miles an hour and I never take a moment to stop and think about all the incredible things I have that make me happy.
So I have got on board and I decided to compile a list of five things in my live that I am thankful for.
Christmas
Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year, I love the festivity of it all and the whole month of December just feels so magical. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t spend the whole year counting down to Christmas but as soon as the lights are being put up on the streets, and the adverts start on the tv, I feel like a little girl again.
I love Christmas music, Christmas food, Christmas decorations, everything about Christmas just fills me with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. However most of all I love how it brings people together, this is the first year my sister and I both don’t live at home and will therefore be travelling home for Christmas, which makes it even more special.
The Internet
This could be something quite controversial, there are so many campaigns out there to get people offline and promoting everyone to stop looking at their screens. However I really love the internet, for more reasons than just finding out what other people are doing in their lives.
I love the power of the internet, I am thankful for the internet because it provides an array of opportunities especially in the field of Journalism. The internet is a phenemenon that is ever changing and has so much to offer, it allows me to connect with people, it gives me a platform in which to share my writing and my work. By using my blog and twitter I have built a brand for myself and without the internet I wouldn’t have that, I am very thankful for the opportunities that the internet has provided me with.
Family
Whenever people are asked what they are thankful for the generic response is always family. Yet my family mean an enourmous amount to me, both my blood family and my best friends who I’d also class as my family.
I write this because they are the people that have been there for me and always supported my decisions in life. Being surrounded by positive and supportive people is so important and I truly believe that because of my strong support system I am the ambitious, creative and determined person that I am.

Manchester
I moved to Manchester for university in September and it was a really tough change for me. I was nervous to move so far away from home but at the same time I was excited about moving to such an exciting and vibrant city.
I was nervous about moving in with strangers, I live with 11 other girls but we have created a little family. I have met some of my best friends in our house and I know we will be great friends for a really long time.
Since settling in I have fallen in love with the city, the culture and all the beautiful places to be found. I love the Northern Quarter, it’s a place full of adorable little tea shops and trendy bars in the evening. There are so many places to explore and I still haven’t been to half the places I want to explore.
What I love the most about Manchester is the theatre scene, there are so many beautiful theatres with jam-packed show schedules all throughout the year. Since I’ve started reviewing up in Manchester I’m astounded by the amount of press nights every week, Manchester produces spectacular theatre.
Theatre
Theatre is a huge part of my life, it’s obvious I have an immense passion and love for it and the fact that my job is being able to see shows and write about them is just a dream come true.
I was brought up watching theatre, my mum always used to take me to musicals, plays and ballets and as I grew older my love for it grew larger. It was #LoveTheatreDay last week and West End Producer tweeted an extract from their book which perfectly put into words why I love theatre so much.
“Whilst TV is changing, and the internet is an extension of our everyday life experience, theatre has something unique to offer. It is not recorded, it is not on a screen in front of us, we cannot pause it whilst we take a phone call, or quickly scan over it and press the refresh button. It is something that demands our focus, our energy and participation- and with that come the rewards of being involved in a live event. And luckily for us all, this makes it an art form that will never die. It is something that has the power to move, to affect, to challenge and constantly to reflect humanity. And that is why I adore it.”

I think what I love so much about theatre is the magical way in which a story can be told through song, dance or expression of words. I love watching something and being so immersed in the performance that I really connect to the actors or the music, theatre makes me feel so much that normal everyday life just can’t do.
I could name many more but these are the biggest things in my life that make me happy and enrich my life. Tweet me @AmyStutz and let me know what you are thankful for over the thanksgiving holiday.
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