• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kiersten Hickman

Food Writer & Photographer

Main navigation

  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Sourdough
  • Blog
    • Meal Plans
    • Cooking Tips
    • Sustainability
    • Wellness
    • Life
  • Portfolio
    • Food Writing & Reporting
    • Recipe Development & Tutorials
    • Food Photography
  • Contact
  • November 23, 2017

    What I’m Thankful For This Year

    Life updates

    Let me tell you a small story. It’s about a 15-year-old girl, freshly into her sophomore year of high school, who just walked into her first journalism class of all time. She heard the mere basics of reporting and what would be asked of her throughout that year in this class. How she got to pitch, write, and publish stories all on her own.

    She left class that day passionate about the year to come, and a few months later a dream was formed: She wanted to be a magazine editor in NYC.

    Can you figure out who this little story is about?

    Now I admit, sometimes that dream changed. There were times I thought I wanted to be a professional dancer or a missionary that traveled the world. But I never fell out of love with my journalism classes, and by the last year of grad school when it was time to truly decide, journalism was always the original dream.

    So I took the leap.


    Why do I share this little story under this blog entry title? Because it truly is what I’m thankful for.

    I am thankful for dreams that make us scared out of our minds, while also giving us the confidence to do what may seem impossible.

    The main reason I couldn’t make up my mind in college is the fact that I thought my dream was absolutely insane. There are tens of thousands of journalism students around the world that have the same dream as me. What makes me any different than them? Why would anyone choose me in such a large crowd?

    Honestly, I don’t have an answer to that. A lot of it comes down to hard work, who you know, and a little bit of luck. But here’s the thing: Without my dream, I wouldn’t even be close to where I am today. Which is why I’m incredibly thankful for it.

    When we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to follow our dreams, we are stifling one of the most important parts of who we are. If we give up on ourselves after the first sign of failure, we are closing doors to opportunities we would have never thought possible.

    Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to my life if I had given up on myself during the first round of edits on my very first article at the age of 15. That thing was completely ripped to shreds, and I felt like a frying pan just slapped me in the face. If I had given up in that moment, I would have never applied to journalism schools. I would have never gone to DePaul. And, I would never have been in Chicago…where I met my husband.

    And no, I’m not saying you’ll find a husband if you follow your dreams. But I do firmly believe that each and every person on this planet has been created to do a specific task, and when we don’t follow through with that task we are missing who we are truly created to be.

    For Oliver, it’s writing music. For me, it’s writing words.

    Of course, it is anything but easy. I impatiently waited and applied for 14 months, before and after getting married, for a full-time magazine job. I received rejection after rejection and at many points wanted to give up. But boy, am I thankful I didn’t.

    This Thanksgiving, be thankful for the dreams you have. For the thing you were created to do. And go for it—once and for all.

    Share this:

    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

    finding my dream job, following your dreams, things to be thankful for, what i'm thankful for, why I'm thankful for my dreams

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

    Hi, I’m Kiersten!

    I’m a food writer & photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. This blog is a place where I share a bit of my life behind the scenes. And all the things I love to cook. More on me >>

      Let’s connect!

    logo
    Food Advertisements by

    Looking for a recipe?

    My Instagram

    • To me, prepping meals makes eating healthier *so* much easier during the week, and I
    • An easy salad you can meal prep—one of my new favorites! This salad was featured in my cooking series with @eatthisnotthat, and I
    • Want to simplify cooking in 2021? Tired of settling for *another* night of frozen pizza or takeout? Same, which is why I developed a full meal plan for January 2021—and I
    • Family is all about trying your recipes multiple times before you get it right I
    • 2020 sucked...but I admit, being at home did force me to create my own fun, which involved trying all kinds of new recipes for my blog. And after looking at the data, there were quite a few recipes that my readers loved this year. So, I
    • A prosecco for the rest of us! Like this post if you get my reference. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I
    • New profile pic ✨ Today is the LAST video in my holiday cooking series with @eatthisnotthat and there
    • Every moment is the perfect charcuterie moment—especially around the holidays. ✨ Here’s a board I threw together this weekend loosely using my cheese board formula...with a whole lotta extra sweets. It’s the holidays, after all!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Gouda wheel⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Goat cheese with herbs⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Brie wedges⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Red wine cheese⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Pepperoni slices⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Summer sausage slices⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * French baguette slices⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Wheat Thins⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Triscuits⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Apple slices⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Peanut brittle⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Grapes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Dark chocolate stars⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Dried apricots⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Raspberries⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * White chocolate-covered pretzels⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Chocolate covered peanuts⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Mini dill pickles⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Kalamata olives⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ *
    • I know cookies are always the holiday dessert of choice, but who doesn
    logo
    Food Advertisements by

    Archives

    logo
    Food Advertisements by
    • To me, prepping meals makes eating healthier *so* much easier during the week, and I
    • An easy salad you can meal prep—one of my new favorites! This salad was featured in my cooking series with
    • Want to simplify cooking in 2021? Tired of settling for *another* night of frozen pizza or takeout? Same, which is
    • Family is all about trying your recipes multiple times before you get it right I
    • 2020 sucked...but I admit, being at home did force me to create my own fun, which involved trying all kinds
    • A prosecco for the rest of us! Like this post if you get my reference. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I
    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • FREE cookbook!
    • Easy Eats
    • FAQ

    hello@kierstenhickman.com

    Kiersten Hickman © 2021 - DESIGNED BY HERPARK STUDIO