Jenn: This year I almost left DC. Not by choice, but by catastrophe. What happened? Well, I almost died, and now am living through my very own episode of House. Thankfully, I’m still here. For that, I owe an enormous debt to the DC I hadn’t really known before: our extraordinary medical professionals. From doctors both wise and humble, to kind nurses and savvy technicians, they made sure I’m still here today. 

I’m thankful for Sibley Hospital, whose caring atmosphere was invaluable. I’m thankful for Uber, a service I had to use not for luxury but necessity, as reliably getting to frequent medical visits proved not possible with cabs. And I’m thankful for my fellow editors and writers at We Love DC, and for our readers, who kept me going with something valuable to focus on outside of ruminating on health woes. While I haven’t been able to write consistently, my role here has been something I could hold on to while everything else fell apart. 

I’m especially thankful for my tribe of friends, a collection of amazing people I love deeply, who keep pulling me back from isolation and inspire me to stay hopeful and interested in life. Finally, I’m thankful that my beloved city keeps me fascinated still. There’s always another intriguing conversation to fall into, always another street I haven’t walked down, always something else to discover. We often don’t know what’s truly important until it’s almost gone. Thank you, DC, for reminding me.

Tom: I am thankful to live in this wonderful city! I do want to thank, more than anything else: my friends at Boundary Stone Public House, who keep me fed and in good spirits; all the people at DC Brau, whose efforts have enlivened the beer scene in DC further and endangered my diet with their delicious beer; the kind souls at Blind Dog Cafe, whose coffee and delicious pastry fuel many mornings; the baseball community in DC, from the beat writers, to the front office staff, to the players on the field, and the best fans in the city, the Nationals have turned the corner in so many ways. Lastly, I am thankful for all the people associated with this site, from our editors, to our writers, to our technical people (thanks Don, John & Lynn!) to all of our awesome readers.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Katie: I’m thankful that even after 5 years in DC, I still am always, always awed by the sight of the Capitol at sunset. I’m grateful for this city’s fabulous farmer’s markets, our free public pools and each of our gazillion little parks. I’m entirely thankful they removed the speeding camera from 395/Southeast-Southwest freeway (at least for now). I’m grateful for my friends, especially this year, which hasn’t been my smoothest. And last, but not least, I’m endlessly appreciative of the communities within DC that I belong to – the Hill community that rallied around the Maslins, the We Love DC community that rallied around one of our own, and the College Bound community that rallies around the most awesome high school students in the city each week. Now let’s eat?

Ben: I am thankful that in this year of upheaval for me, DC has remained as it is: a vibrant patina of culture, career, and community. It’s been seven years since I relocated from parts northward and DC has never proven me wrong in making that decision. I am thankful for DC’s food trucks and foodie reviews, museums and marketplaces, libraries and literature, shops and servers, events and entertainers. Over the past year I’ve experienced a roller coaster of life emotions but I’ve never felt abandoned by the community that has accepted me with open arms. While arguably the most powerful city in the world, DC is also one of the most humble. Even though it acknowledges its faults – corruption in local government, annoying taxicabs, a broken Metro – DC holds its head high and showcases its myriad of cultures through local pride, distinctive talent, and brutal honesty.

Ultimately, to me, I am thankful that DC remains what we here at WeLoveDC recognize it to be: Life Beyond the Capitol. I thank our array of writers who sacrifice their time to highlight the best (and sometimes, the painful worst) for others to see. It makes me proud to say I am thankful we can live in the greatest city of the greatest nation on this planet.

So thanks to all the people: you, our readers; you, our press contacts and informers; you, our friends and family and community; and the rest of you, our background soundtrack to life here in the capital region. May you celebrate safely and with joy this holiday weekend.

Joanna: I’m thankful for the Gauguins, Rothkos, and El Grecos lining our museums that take me outside of myself and into the past; and I’m thankful for all the dedicated, talented artists working hard to build our collective, creative city life today. I’m thankful for organizations laboring to bring beauty into schools, prisons, and prison-like schools. In particular I’m grateful for our ever-growing theater scene, and events like Fringe Festival, Page to Stage, Source Festival, and more that showcase new, innovative works – for better or worse.  Being around so many gifted people for the last few years has inspired and challenged me as a writer and a person, so I’m thankful for DC’s post-cubicle community that forces me to evolve every day. And I’ll throw in there that I’m thankful for Metro, too, even when it never arrives and the escalators at Rosslyn break down. I’ve lived in cities with trains and without. Trains are better.

Lastly I’m thankful to Tom and Jenn and all our We Love DC crew for the chance to write about what I love; and thankful to DC for giving us so much to write about in the first place. (Cue “exit stage left” violins.)

Alexia: This year, more than ever, I have become increasingly aware and SO THANKFUL for DC & the metro area’s vibrant creative community. Outsiders and even people in the metro area may not fully realize or appreciate what’s going on here as far as music and creative culture, but there are beautiful, inspiring, rocking things happening. While there is a lot going on all over the creative spectrum I will admit that I mostly have my fingers on the indie/rock music pulse. From DIY house shows (I love you, Paperhaus!) to loft apartment happenings, from our city’s established and loved rock haunts to the newer players and everywhere in between (Black Cat, 930, Comet Ping Pong, Velvet Lounge, U St. Music Hall, Rock & Roll Hotel, Red Palace, DC9, Iota, Galaxy Hut & on & on) people are really trying in this city, and doing, and it just makes me really happy to be in it, and experiencing it, and a part of it firsthand. Want a taste of some of the musical greatness/creative abundance that is going on in DC right now? Here’s a tiny sampling of/shout out to some of my favorite DC area bands currently rocking their hearts out: Heavy Breathing,  Black Hills, Coup Sauvage & The Snips, E.D. Sedgwick, Silo Halo, Noon:30, Tereu Tereu, Shark Week, Foul Swoops, Chain & The Gang… (this list could go on a long time, and I’ll be starting a more detailed segment highlighting awesome DC bands on the blog soon!)  I love this city, I love the music that is happening in it right now, the support, camaraderie, and spirit of the creative community that’s thriving in it!

Marissa: I’m thankful for the thing that brought me to DC in the first place: GWU. Screw what rankings say or don’t say. I’m thankful for my We Love DC team, the site that has introduced me to so many fascinating people and experiences in this city, and frequently has answers to any technological problem I’m facing. Big thanks to our readers and Twitter followers who keep spurring us on. Time and time again, I’m amazed by our growing restaurant scene with chefs that let me into their livesand kitchens to write about them. I’m thankful for a circle of close friends who are responsible for years of good memories, who pull me back every time I travel somewhere else and think, “Hmm, I could live in this other city,” and who I love more than I can even put into words. I’m thankful for my family. And thankful for the ever-fascinating and beautiful Washington, DC.